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illustrent  la  mdthode. 


1 

2 

3 

1 

2 

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4 

5 

6 

NIMEOD  IN  THE  N^ORTH. 


i 


FREDERICK    SCHWATKA. 


NIMROD  IN  THE  NORTH 


OR 


f 

4 


HUNTING  AND  FISHING  ADVENTURES 
IN  THE  ARCTIC  REGIONS. 


BY 
FREDERICK    SCHWATKA. 

Laureate  of  the  Paris  Geographical  Society,  and  of  the  Imperial  Geoifl  Socier-  o'  HuH.i..    H,>nnr„..  m      , 
Bremen  Geog'l  Society,  etc.,  etc.    Commanrter  of  ihe  Lou.e^t  S^S Jr—VS^Za 
(3201  miles).  1878-7980,  and  Commander  of  the  Longest  Raft  Jon raey 
in  the  World  (1305  miles),  1883. 


■^1 


NEW  YORK : 

CASSELL  &  COMPANY,  Limited 


1885. 


55 


ii 


COPTUIQHT, 

1885, 
ByO.  M.  DUNHAM. 


ALL  RIGHTS  RESERVED. 


\V.  L.  Mershon  &  Co., 

Printers     and    Electrotypers, 

Rahway,  N.  J. 


y^irr]-^ 


CONTENTS. 


4 


Chaptbb 

I.  The  Polar  Beak,      . 

11.  SiiooTixG  Amo.ng  the  Seals  and  Sea  Horses, 

III.  The  Rifle  and  the  Reindeer, 

IV.  The  Musk-Ox, 

V.  NlMKOD   WITH  A  SlIOT-GUN, 

VI  JNTlMROD    WITH  A   FlSH-: 

VII.  Dor.s  AND  Dog-Sledgi 

Vlir.  Hunting  and  Fishing  .  Alaska, 


Page 

9 
34 
^9 

87 
112 
130 
142 
161 


IX.    Hunting  and  Fishing  in  Far.  o.  .ALASKA  (Co;.^/;,^,,,/^.     177 


.?9 


mTRODUCTIOJST. 


In  ^^ ntui,  o  x^imrod  m  the  North,  the  anti  ,v  hisconfined  himself 
almost  exrlMsiyey  to  such  scenes  and  ^dventur..  as  canle  within  his 
personal  knouledu^e  a  few  years  since,  in  the  region  north  of  Hudson's 
Bay,  and.  more  recently,  in  tlxe  interior  of  Alaska.  He  has  sought  at 
tlie  same  tin.e  however,  to  describe  in  a  general  way  the  ie  of  the 
spor  sman  in  the  Polar  wast,  ^-his  trials  and  his  triLphs,  his  cafe' 
am  ns  comforts,  his  camps  and  his  sledges,  his  singular  native  all  e 
an.l  their  ingenious  weapons  of  the  chase,  and  (above  all)  the  aninrils 
lie  may  pur.ue-or  that  may  pursue  him, -and  in  doing  so  has  added  a 
very  fe.v  interesting  hunting  anecdotes  from  the  Arctic  works  of  others 


I 


XIMEOD  IN  THE  NORTH. 


CHAPTER  I. 


T  II  E     P  O  L  A  II     li  E  A  II , 


|UR  first  introduction  to  this  boreal  Bruin, 
"tlie  tiger  of  the  ice,'*  us  an  Arctic  writer 
has  aptly  termed  him,  occurred  in  the  latter 
part  of  July,  1878,  wlien  we  encountered  the 
Eskimo  of  the  Savage  Islands,  on  the  northern 
coast  of   Hudson's   Strait,   who  had,   among 
other  kinds  of  Arctic  merchandise,  a  number 
of   pohir  bear  skins  to  sell.      These  simple 
natives  are  certainly  .easily  satisfied,  or,  more  pi-operly  speaking,  easily 
cheated  ;  for  half-a-tumblerful  of  shot  secured  four  sadules  of  reindeer 
meat,  while  a  fine  polar  bear  robe  was  obtained  for  half-plug  (one-twelfth 
of  a  pound  of  ^avy  six)  of  tobacco  and  a  few  charges  of  powder. 
Twenty-five  caps  were  given  for  one  fiftli  as  many  white  fox  skins,  and 
many  other  things  were  paid  for  in  the  same  proportion.     I  bought 
three  dogs-all  they  had  brought  in  their  oow/.v/,  or  seal-skin  scow- 
for  my  party,  and  wIkmi  1  gave  them  something  ap]iroximatelv  near 
their  true  value  (for  T  was  not  a  little  disgusted  with  the  Shylock 
maimer  in  which  they  had  been  treated),  their  astonishment  knew  no 
bounds,  and  one  old  f,  'low,  with  a  huge  sjuile  breaking  through  an  inch 
oi  dirt,  so  insisted  on  rubbing  noses  with  me,  that,  althouuh  the  cere- 
numy  was  a  pledge  of  etei-nal  friendship.  I  almost  repented  .,i'  the  act 
of  justice  which  he  mistook  for  generosity. 


10 


^riMIiOD    IX    THE    NORTH. 


Polar  bears  are  quite  numerous  along  the  shores  of  Hudson's  Sti'ait, 
and  as  ^'hey  are  extremely  aquatic  in  their  habits,  being-  often  found  on 
cakes  of  ice  or  on  icebergs  many  miles  from  land,  it  occasionally  hap- 
pens that  American  whalers  en  route  through  these  straits  to  their 
whaling  grounds  in  North  Hudson's  Bay,  or  the  Hudson  Bay  Company's 
ships,  in  their  annual  visits  to  their  trading  posts,  encounter  Bruin 
here  and  have  many  interesting  bouts  with  hiiu.  If  he  is  found  cm 
isolated  cakes  or  small  lioes  of  ice,  his  capture  is  almost  certain  when 
pursued  in  the  well-manned  small  boats  of  the  whalers,  who  have  no 
trouble  in  overtaking  him  in  a  fair  race  in  the  water  and  then  shooting 
liim.  But  if  the  ice-cakes  are  numerous  enough  to  force  the  rowers  to 
take  sinuous  courses  and  make  wide  deviations,  or  are  i)acked  so 
tightly  together  as  to  obstruct  the  boats,  J^ruin  generally  manages  to 
save  his  blanket.  It  the  ice-pack  is  very  dense,  the  only  method  is  the 
one  used  by  the  Eskimo,  of  bringing  him  to  bay  by  pursuing  dogs,  the 
same  as  if  on  land  or  on  the  shore  ice.  So  great,  indeed,  is  the  polar 
bears'  love  for  the  salt  water,  that  it  is  a  very  unusual  thing  to  iind 
them  far  from  the  sea-shore,  and  the  only  time  I  have  ever  known  them 
to  leave  it  any  distance  Avas  \\  hen  the  salmon  ran  up  the  small  streams 
oi)ened  by  the  perpetually  shining  sun  of  the  short  Arctic  summer;  for 
in  the  ripples  and  rapids  of  these  cold  creeks  Bruin  iinds  a  most 
generous  commissary  department  while  it  lasts,  and  at  all  such  phices 
he  is  liable  to  be  found.    . 

After  the  winter  has  set  in  and  the  ice  has  formed  to  a  considerable 
depth  along  the  coasts,  the  Uiitive  sledging  i)arties  that  are  then  follow- 
ing the  shore  ice  froui  one  village  to  another  are  the  ones  most  likely  to 
coiue  in  contact  with  this  particular  game.  In  fact,  by  far  the  greater 
number  of  robes  are  thus  secured  by  theui.  When  in  tlie  summer  this 
solid  sheet  of  ice  is  broken  ui*  and  driven  out  to  sea,  by  tlie  winds  and 
currents  and  tides,  the  polar  l)ear  often  follows  his  ivy  home  to  its  new 
abode,  and  it  is  here  and  under  these  circumstances  that  he  is  most 
generally  encountered,  killed  and  studied  by  ciNili/ed  man.  and  iiis 
habits  and  pecidiarities  noted.  His  loxc  foi'  tlie  sea,  in  which  he  is  so 
characteristically  distinct  from  all  (tlhers  of  his  tribe,  has  dereiinined 
his  scientilic  name,  Urs/tis'  Jlinilimi/s,  althoimh  the  assertions  of  some 


12 


NIMROD    IN    THE    NORTH. 


that  liis  habits  are  purely  aquatic  must  be  taken  with  a  few  girJns  of 
aUovvance.     In  the  suiniiier,  as  I  have  said,  lie  occasionally  goes  inland 
in  quest  of  salmon,  and  in  winter,  when  there  is  but  little  difference 
between  the  land  and  the  frozen  ocean,  both  being  covered  with  their 
common  mantle  of  drifting  snows,  his  inland  excursions  are  not  at  all 
rare.     The  absence  of  encounters  between  polar  bears  and  men  in  such 
places  is  due  more  to  the  rarity  of  visits  by  the  latter  than  the  former. 
It  is  undoubtedly  the  ease  with  which  they  obtain  seals  or  the  car- 
casses of  "■flensed"  whales,  or  those  which  have  had  their  blubber 
stripped  from  them  by  whalers,  walrus  and  other  sea-abiding  animals, 
that  attracts  them  so  persistently  to  these  abodes.     The  inland  country 
would  not  fui-nish  them  enough  to  support  their  huge  carcasses  for  even 
a  few  days,  unless  perchance  they  should  fall  in  with  the  meat  caches 
of  the  inland  reindeer  hunters,  which,  by  tiie  way,  the  Eskimo  say 
they  have  been  known  to  destroy  a  distance  of  two  or  three  days' 
sledge-traveling  from  the  main  coast  (probably  thirty  or  forty  miles), 
although  it  may  be  nearer  some  of  the  deep  tinger-like  fiords  character- 
istic of  the  Arctic  coasts  of  some  districts.     As  showing  their  maritime 
character  and  the  great  distance  to  which  they  will  journey  on  fields 
and  cakes  of  ice,  let  one  pick  up  an  atlas  showing  the  geographical 
relations  between  Iceland  and  (li-eenland,  the  distance  between  which 
is  about  equal  to  that  between  Kew  York  City  and  Washington  ;  yet 
thes(^  polar  pirates  often  stray  in  thisiuanner  from  the  eastei-n  coast  of 
Greenland  to  Iceland  in  such  numb^-rs  as  to  seriously  frighten  the 
inhal)itants,  being  famished  and  (lesi)erate  with  luumer  after  their  lonu' 
ritle  and  fast  en  route,  and  attacking  every  thing  living  tliey  see,  man 
not  excepted.    The  mitives,  hoAvever,  have  an  ingenious  way  of  escajjiug 
their  fury,  if  they  r.ni  only  spare  some  article  of  wearing  api)arel  to 
amuse  them  or  arouse  their  curiosity.     A  glove,  they  say.  is  suflicient 
for  this  purpose,  for  a  bear  will  not  stir  fuither  till  he  has  turned  every 
linger  of  it  inside  out,  and  as  these  aninuils  are  not  vciy  dexterous 
with  their  clumsy  paws,  this  takes  up  enough  time  to  allow  the  man 
to  esca]>e. 

The  winter  camp  of  our  little  party  for  ]878-'70  was  p.itclied  near 
Depot  Island,  in  the  noi'thernmost  part  of  Hudson's  Bav.  amid  a  large 


THE    POLAR    BEAR.  jg 

camp  of  mixed  Iwillik,  Igloolik  and  Netschilluk  Eskimo.     I  employed 
fo.ir  families  of  them,  thirteen  souls  in  all,  to  accompany  me  on  n.y 
proposed  spring  sledge  journey  to  the  Arctic  Sea.     Around  this  winter 
can.p  the  natives  reported  tliat  bear  were  reasonably  common,  and  quite 
P  n   mber  of  them  had  promised  tliat  we,  the  wliite  men,  sliould  be 
indulge^  m  son.e  of  this  exciting  sport  before  the  winter  should  wear 
away,  it  we  would  accompany  them  on  tlieir  sledge  journey.,  along  the 
coast.     That  winter,  however,  yielded  us  no  sport  in  this  line,  although 
one  o    the  native  members  of  the  party,  Ik-quee-sik,  a  big,  robi'st 
^etsc  nlluk,  fully  six  feet  in  height,  killed  one  bear  on  or  uL  Depot 
Island,  while  encamped  there  for  walrus  hunting  to  secure  oil  for  my 
party  s  sleoge  journey,  and  this  was  the  only  bear,  I  believe,  whose 
tracks  were  seen  near  our  camp  that  winter,  although  such  a  scarcity 
was  unusual.     Bruin  had  evidently  been  attracted  by  the  scent  from 
he  numerous  walrus  c-airns,  or  little  rock  cacnes  where  meat  is  stored, 
that  dotted  Depot  Island,  and  he  came  lumbering  along,  suspec-ting  no 
danger,  early  one  February  morning.     Now  -early  in  the  morninc." 
depends  upon  the  season,  and  in  the  Arctic  February  or  thereabouts  it 
means  nearly  eleven  o'clock  in  the  forenoon,  and   consequently  our 
polar  ursine  friend  found  every  body  astir  in  order  to  take  full  advan- 
tage of  the  very  short  day.     Ikqueesik's  family  were  alone  on  the 
island,  many  of  his  associates  of  the  village  being  absent  at  the  whale- 
ships  w.ntenng  at  Marble  Island,  some  eighty  or  ninety  miles  to  the 
sontlnvard.     The  consequence  was  that  the  bear  got  fairly  into  the 
i  age  before  he  was  discovered  even  by  Ikqueesik's  four  or  five  runty 
If  tie  hal  -grown  bhu-k  dogs  that  looked  more  like  wolverine  kittens  thJn 
the  true  Kskimo  class  of  canines.     They  were,  however,  equal  to  the 
en.ergency.  and  Eskimo-like,  Ikqueesik  had  to  first  come  out  of  his  snow 
lu.t  unarmed  to  see  the  cause  of  the  disturbance,  when  Bruin  got  a 
|?ood  Ong  start  of  him.  despite  the  persistent  nippings  of  the  purtuing 
puppies  that  delayed  him  considerably.     It  was  a  running  chase  for  : 
Kood  long  distance,  but  the  dogs,  encouraged  by  Ikqueesik's  approach- 
ng  presence,  worked  like  heroes  to  delay  the  bear,  and  finally  succeedell 
to  an  extent  that  gave  their  master  a  long  shot  at  the  game  with  his 
snK)otli-bore  musket  that  luckily  planted  itself  in  the  foreshoulder  and 


li  I 


14  NIMROl)    IX    THE    NORTH. 

brou.^ht  Bruin  effectively  to  bay.    Loading  leisurely  at  this  distance  he 
approached  much  nearer,  and  as  a  result  he  had  one  close  shave  troni  a 
darin-  charge  of  the  ferocious  beast  over  tlie  huuiniocky  ice  ;  but  our 
Netschilluk  Ninirod  soon  dispatched  him  and  brought  his  robe  triuni- 
phantly  into  camp.     He  was  an  immense  fellow,  weighing  undoubtedly 
over  a  thousand  pounds,  and  would  have  been  a  bad  customer  at  close 
quarters  had  not  his  shoulder  been  rendered  worthless  at  the  hrst  hre. 
The  size  of  the  polar  bear  varies  considerably  even  with  those  that  may 
be  considered  full-grown  specimens,  and  some  naturalists  class  them  as 
tlie  largest  of  the  genus  Ursus.  yet  his  famous  western  brother,  the 
•  nr,7\x\ursus  HorribiUsX  will  certainly  dispute  the  point  closely 
with  him     This  one  killed  by  Ikcpieesik  was  pronounced  by  the  Eskmio 
to  be  -  an-a-yo-ad'-lo,"  or  very  large,  and  had  he  been  weighed  I  would 
uot  have  been  surprised  to  see  him  show  1200  pounds  ;  I  certainly 
would  have  been  surprised  had  he  stopped  short  of  1000.     Captain 
Lyon   a  l^ritish  Arctic  explorer,  mentions  a  polar  bear  which  weighed 
moo  poumls  and  measured  eight  feet  and  seven  inches  -from  tip  to 
tip"     It  is  said  that  Barentz.  in  his  expedition  of  1596,  killed  two 
pohu-  bears  whose  skins  measured  no  less  than  twelve  and  thirteen  feet 
in  length,  and  which  must  have  represented  enormous  animals,  rivaling 
even  tlie  largest  grizzly.     They  were  secured  on  an  island  near  8pitz- 
ber..en      Franz- Josef  Land  is  pre-eminently  the  paradise  of  polar  bears, 
the^Austrian  expedition  of  1873^4  which  discovered  the  island  encount- 
ering and  lulling  them  by  scores,  yet  the  largest  one  they  mentioned 
' '  w^s  eight  feet  long,  and  therefore  of  unusual  size."    In  Parry' s  Arctic 
voyao-e  of  1819,  his  party  succeeded  in  killing  a  bear  which,  although 
measuring   eight    feet  and   two  inches  in  length,  only  weighed  900 
pounds.    -  It  will  be  seen,"  says  a  chronicler  of  that  expedition,  "  that 
his  wei<.-lit  is  not  at  all  in  pr  .poition  to  his  dimensions,  for  he  was  a 
very  large  animal,  as  far  as  length  and  height  went,  but  although  six 
inciies  longer  than  the  bear  we  killed  in  this  country  last  summer,  he 
was  upward  of  two  hundred  pounds  lighter." 

Duriu"-  the  fall  of  1S7S  my  hir.Ml  native  hunters,  as  well  as  many 
from  the  village  that  had  clustered  around,  for  which  our  tents  served 
as  a  nucleus,  started  inland  on  their  annual  reindeer  liunts  to  procure 


THE    POLAR    BEAR.  jg 

tlie  hides  of  that  animal,  whicli  are  used  almost  exclusively  for  their 
winter  clothing  and  bedding.     Joe  (Ebierbing)  attached  himself  to  a 
young  Iw.llik  Eskimo,  Too-loo'-ah  by  name,  who  will  appear  many 
tin,es  in  these  accounts  as  my  most  valuable  and  intelligent  hunter, 
loolooah  and  Joe,  as  the  autumn  snows  commenced  falling,  had  pitched 
their  sealskin  tent  on  a  precipitous  hill  overlooking  a  small  fresh-water 
lake    where  the  reindeer,  on  their  autumnal  southward  migrations 
could  be  seen  for  many  miles.     When  the  weather  became  too  cold  to 
allow  the  tent  to  be  warmed  by  their  rude  stone  lamps,  an  igloo  or 
snow-house  was  built  and  the  hunt  continued.     One  cold,   gloomy 
storm-boding  day,  when  both  our  heroes  were  snugly  ensconced  in  bed 
which  with  the  natives  means  stripped  stark  naked,  lying  between 
heir  dressed  reindeer  l>lankets),  a  terrible  racket  was  heard  near  the 
hdve,  sufhcient  to  excite  their  curiosity.     Joe  Jumped  up  and,  partially 
and  hurriedly  dressed,   emerged  into  the  open  air.     Toolooah,   less 
excited,  stretched  out,  back  up,  with  his  chin  in  both  hands,  eagerly 
awaiting  devek)pments.     It  turned  out  to  be  a  big,  shaggy  polar  Lai 
breaking  the  ice  of  the  lake  where  it  had  an  outlet  into  a  small  creek 
and  trying  to  catch  the  fish  that  some  instinct  told  him  would  be  found 
there.    As  soon  as  Joe  con.prehended  the  situation,  he  seized  a  loaded 
musket,  the  only  arm  on  the  outside  of  the  hut,  and,  taking  deliberate 
aim  at  Bruin,  who  was  about  a  hundred  and  fifty  yards  awav,  he  let  him 
have  an  ineffectual  shot  in  the  leg.     This  so  astonislied  his  bearship 
who  had  perceived  no  danger,  that  he  only  looked  at  Joe  in  amazed 
ment,  howling  furiously  at  his  slight  wound.    -  Namiook  !   JS'annook'" 
a  bear  !  a  bear !)  yelled  Joe,  Just  after  he  fired,  and  then  dodged  into 
the  low  entrance  of  the  snow-house  in  order  to  get  his  AVinchester 
carbine,  his  head  meeting,  with  a  good  round  thump,  that  of  Toolooah 
who,  stark  naked,  was  emerging,   AVinchester  in  hand.     By  the  time 
that  Toolooah  had  strnightened  up  in  front  of  the  entrance,  and  recov- 
ered from  Ins  dizzy  collision,  the  bear  had  commenced  to  appreciate 
t  uit  he  was  in  an  unhenlthy  neighborhood,  with  a  high  rate  of  mortal- 
ity that  could  only  be  counteracted  by  a  high  rate  of  speed,  and  he  had 
just  swung  his  carcass  around  for  a  retreat  when  he  got  Toolooah's  first 
Hre  in  his  hams.     Then  he  started  on  the  run,  Toolooah  giving  him  a 


it 


I 


16 


NIMROD    IN    THE    NORTH. 


second  as  he  disappeared  over  a  crest  about  forty  or  fifty  yards  further 
on.     He  was  not  yet  i)erinanently  disabled,  altliough  carrying  tliree 
wounds  more  or  le^s  severe  ;  and  there  was  no  time  for  our  liunters  to 
delay  if  the  prey  was  to  be  secured.    Despite  his  immodest  appearance, 
and  to  the  Eskimo  mind  the  moi-e  deterring  fact  that  the  thermometer 
was  below  zero,  I'oolooah  ran  like  a  race-horse  for  about  a  hundred 
yards  and  got  a  long-range  shot  of  about  tliree  hundred  yards  at  the 
retreating  polar,  who  wjis  looking  at  him  from  his  haunches  on  a  second 
ridge.     This  shot  gave  him  a  fatal  bullet  in  his  neck.     An  Eskin\o 
Nimrod,   stark  naked,  standing  half  knee-deep  in  the  snow,  in  the 
midst  of  an  Arctic  winter,  gun  in  hand,  over  a  fallen  bear,  would  be  a 
good  picture  to  hang  in  one's  room  of  hunting  trophies,  to  contemplate 
in   the   summer  time.     The  robe  of  this  bear  and  that  secured  by 
Ik(pieesik  had  fallen  to  me,  but  during  my  year's  absence  on  the 
sledge  journey  from  Hudson's  Bay  to  the  Arctic  Sea,  the  retiring  whaler 
who  had  been  hired  to  bring  us  into  Hudson's  Bay  from  the  United 
States  appropriated  them  along  with  other  trophies,  for  the  ])olar  bear 
robe  has  a  market  vjdue  in  civilized  marts. 

In  cpiaint  old  Purchas'  "Pilgrimes"  is  a  most  interesting  account  of 
the  ancient  way  "ye  white  beare"  was  hunted,  and  being  short,  I  trans- 
cribe it.  It  was  during  Barentz's  second  Arctic  exi)edition,  chronicled 
by  Gerard  de  Veer,  the  historian  of  the  voyage,  who  says:— "The  (Uh 
of  September  some  of  our  men  went  on  shore,  upon  the  firme  land, 
(Nova  Zembla)  to  seeke  for  stones,  which  are  a  kinde  of  diamond, 
whereof  there  are  many  also  in  the  States'  Island  ;  and  while  they  were 
seeking  the  stones,  two  of  our  men  lying  together  in  one  i)]ace,  a  great 
leane  white  beare  came  suddenly  stealing  out,  and  caught  one  of  them 
fast  by  the  necke  ;  who  not  knowing  what  it  was  that  took  him  by  the 
necke,  cryed  out  and  sayd.  *  Who  is  it  that  pulls  mee  so  by  the  necke  i ' 
Wherewith  the  other,  that  lay  not  farre  from  him.  lifted  up  his  head  to 
see  what  it  was  ;  and,  perceiving  it  to  be  a  monstrous  beare,  cryed  out 
and  sayd,  'Oh,  Mate  I  it  is  a  beare,'  and  therewith  presently  rose  up, 
and  ranne  away.  The  l)eare  at  the  first  falling  ui»on  the  man,  bit  his 
head  in  sunder  and  sukt  out  his  blood  ;  wherewith  the  rest  of  the  men 
that  were  on  the  land,  bein;;  about  twentie  in  number,  ranne  presently 


THE    POLAR    BEAR.  jy 

tliither,  either  to  save  tlie  nmii,  or  else  to  drive  tlie  beare  from  the  ])ocly 
and  liavii.o.  charged  their  pieces,  and  bent  rl  eir  pikes,  set  npon  lier  that 
was  stdl  devouring  tlie  man,  but,  perceiving  them  to  come  towards  her 
hercely  and  cruelly  ranne  at  then.,  and  got  another  of  them  out  of  the 
companie,  which  she  tore  in  pieces,  uherewith  all  the  rest  ninne  away 
A\  e  perceiving,  out  of  our  ship  and  pinnasse,  that  our  men  ranne  to  the 


BARENTZ'S   PARTY   AND   TIIK   BEAKS. 

sea-Side  to  save  themselves,  with  all  speed  entred  into  our  boates,  and 
row.vl  as  fast  as  wee  could  to  the  shoare  to  relieve  our  men.  Where 
bemg  on  land,  wee  beheld  the  cruel  spectacle  of  our  two  dead  men  thai 
had  been  so  <.ruelly  killed  and  torn  in  pieces  by  the  beare.  We.  seeino- 
tliat,  encouraged  our  men  to  goe  l)acke  again  with  us,  and  with  pieces" 
ourtelaxes.  and  half-pikes  to  set  upon  the  beare,  but  they  would  not  ali 
agree  thereunto  ;  some  of  them  saying,  our  men  are  alrmdy  dead,  and 


m 

1% 


I 


18 


NIMROD    IN    THE    NORTH. 


we  sluill  get  the  beure  well  enough  though  we  ojipose  not  ourselves 
into  so  o[)en  diiuger  ;  if  wee  might  save  our  IVllowes'  lives  then  wee 
would  :u;ike  h:iste  ;  but  now  wee  need  not  nuike  such  speed,  but  to 
take  her  at  an  iulvantage,  with  most  securitie  for  ourselves,  for  we  have 
to  doe  with  a  cruell,  tierce,  and  ravenous  beast.  Whereupon  three  of 
our  men  went  forward,  the  beare  still  devouring  her  i>rey,  not  once  fear- 
ing the  number  of  our  men,  and  yet  they  were  thirtie  at  the  least ;  the 
three  that  went  forward  were  Cornelius  .lacobson,  Williehii  (reysen  and 
Hans  Von  Nutlen,  \Vilhehn  Barentz  s  pui'ser  ;  and,  vJun-  that  the  sayd 
master  and  pylot  had  shot  three  times,  and  mist,  tiic  i)urser,  stepping 
somewhat  fuilher  forward,  and  seeing  the  beare  to  be  witliin  the  length 
of  a  shot,  presently  levelled  his  piece,  and  discharging  it  at  the  beare, 
shot  her  into  the  head,  betweene  the  eyes,  and  yet  sht-d  held  the  man 
still  fast  by  the  necke,  and  lifted  up  her  head  with  the  man  in  her 
mouth  ;  but  she  began  somewhat  to  stagger,  wherewith  the  i)urser  and 
a  Scottish  man  tlrew  out  tlieir  curtelaxes  and  strooke  at  her  so  hard 
that  their  curtelaxes  burst,  and  yet  sliee  would  not  leave  the  man  ;  at 
last  Wiihelm  Geysen  went  to  them,  and  with  all  his  might  strooke  the 
beare  upon  the  snout  with  his  piece,  at  which  time  the  beare  fell  to  the 
ground,  making  a  great  noyse,  and  Wiihelm  Geysen,  leaping  ujKm  her, 
cut  her  tln'oat." 

Just  how  brave,  ferocious,  or  dangei'ous  the  polar  bear  may  })e.  it  is 
extremely  hard  to  say,  owing  to  the  variety  of  disi)()sition  and  dissimilar 
traits  it  has  exhibited  in  this  respect,  under  the  scrutiny  of  ecpially 
credil)le  observers.  One  authc^rity  says  : — "  It  is  the  largest,  strongest, 
most  powerful  and,  with  a  single  exception,  tlie  inost  ferocious  of 
bears,"  the  exception  evidently  meaning  the  griz/ly.  Yet  the  many 
mutilated  persons  I  have  seen  in  the  great  west  who  have  been  intimate 
with  the  "cinnamon"  bear  of  that  region,  and  describe  him  as  equal  in 
ferocity  with,  and  superior  in  activity  to,  the  grizzly,  would  certainly  not 
be  willing  to  surrender  his  claims  to  those  of  the  polar  bear.  Again, 
the  testimony  of  those  who  have  shot  a  helpless  animal  swimming  in 
the  sea  from  the  deck  of  an  exi)loring  steamer,  is  of  no  more  value  than 
that  of  a  menagerie  keeper  who  has  poisoned  a  caged  liengal  tiger.  I 
am  inclined  to  place  the  polar  bear  below  both  the  cinnamon  and  grizzly 


THE    POLAR    BEAR. 


19 


in  bravery,  althou-li  fl.e  superior  of  either  in  activity.    His  lonA^  HMie. 


snake- like  foi 


■ni,  conipaied  with  the  bun<Hi 


wouM  show  this  witliout  fnrtl 


ng-  carcasses  of  the  otii.'i-! 


fei 


!ier  ai-gunient  or  practical  (U'lnonstration, 

lo  si)eak  of  tlie 


yet  it  lias  received  tlie  hitter  without  doubt.     Those  v.ii .  .^„ 
'•   ocity  produced  by  a  cai-niv(,r(,us  diet  may  tliink  tlie  polar  si 


eel  his  oiiMuvorous  brethren  of  the  south,  as  he  is  wh(,]lv  of  this 
yet,  singularly  enough,  hi; 


lion  id  ex- 


type 


,,    ,     „  .  ,       ,  >''*^'"  ^^"  •It-ntition  is  exactly  the  .......  .,« 

that  of  the  o  her  bears.     Still,  as  has  1 n  said,  the  polar  bear  has 

exhibited  all  degrees  of  bravery,  from  that  of  the  most  ferocious  disre- 
gai-d  ol  life  to  the  most  abject  cowardice.     The  old  ^-orsenien    than 
whom  no  braver  men  ever  lived,  came  in  <.ontact  with  these  gla<-ial 
grizzlies  when  their  most  venturons  explorers  discovered  Greenland 
and  Knc  the  ]ied,  their  In.ld  leader,  is  sai.l  to  have  quarreled  fuiiousi; 
with  one  of  his  best  friends  from  sheer  envy  because  the  latter  had 
ki  led  a  polar  bear,  and  thus  distinguished  himself  among  those  who 
valued  bravery  as  highly  as  it  has  ever  been  held  since,  when  his  chief 
should  have  been  given  this  honored  opportunity.     Thev  certainlv  re- 
^med  him  a.  a  plucky  adversary.     ''Killing  a  bear,"  Jays  Chevalier 
Kink,  once  Danish  inspector  of  Greenla.ul,  -has,  in  ancient  as  well  as 
m  modern  times,  been  considered  one  of  the  most  distinguishi,,.,.  f^.ts 
of  sportsmanship  in  Greenland."     If  the  Eskimo  of  (Greenland  are  t^^e 
peers  ot  their  polar  brethren  on  the  main  c(mtinent,  thev  would  cer 
tainly  pick  no  mean  opponent  to  be  thus  distinguished.*    All    \rotic 
authorities  seem  to  unite  in  the  assertion  that  the  mother  is  nnsparinc. 
m  her  exhibition  of  bravery  to  protect  her  young,  and  hardlv  a  borea^l 
boc>lc  exists  that  does  not  recount  one  or  more  of  these  instances  of 
maternal  affection  ;  and  yet  I  am  compelled  to  narrate  an  incident  that 
came  nnder  my  own  personal  observation,  that  will  shatter  somewhat 
even  this  unanimity  of  opinion.     My  party  of  four  white  men  and 
ioolooahs  family  were  on  their  southward  search  along  the  western 

coast  of  King  "William's  Land,  in  Angust  1879  nnd  I'.nrl  .r,  'a 
,-T,i..„i     I      .  ^.  .  -^<i,-^ii.M,   lo/.;,  ana  Jiad  encamped 

inland  about  hve  or  six  miles  from  Erebus  J3ay,  while  crossing  over  the 
peninsula  between  it  and  Terror  Bay,  fifteen  miles  wide.  AVhile  thus 
niovmg  onr  effects,  I  had  occasion  to  send  Toolooah  back  to  the  former 
bay  to  get  a  large  drift  log  that  I  had  seen  there  and  had  split  np  to  bP 


r 


I 


20 


NIMROD    IN    THE    NORTH. 


used  for  firewood.  He  took  ii  number  of  tlie  dogs,  harnessed,  and  aiil y  a 
snow-knife,  a  two-edged  one,  about  sixteen  inches  long  in  all.  and  which 
had  had  tlu-  wooden  handle  knocked  otf  of  the  tang  in  order  to  crease 
one  end  of  the  logs  so  that  the  drag-rope  would  not  i)ull  off.  Nearing 
tile  shore  of  the  bay,  he  discovered  a  she-bear  and  a  goodly  sized  cub 
trotting  along  the  edge  of  tlie  water,  which  the  dogs,  when  slipped, 
soon  brought  to  bay.  Nothing  daunted,  Toolooah  separated  the  dam 
from  the  cub  by  pelting  the  former  vigorously  with  st(mes.  and  while 
she  was  employ«Hi  growling  at  the  snapping  dogs  a  short  distance  off, 
he  disi)atched  the  cub  witli  his  decrepit  knife  ;  tlnni,  after  running  the 
mother  out  to  sea  on  the  ice-tloe,  he  brought  the  carcass  of  the  cub 
triumphantly  into  camp,  tied  on  the  spreading  pieces  of  the  split  log. 
I  told  Toolooah  a  story  of  Captain  HalFy.  which  he  relates  in  his 
book,  of  having  killed  a  p(dar  cub  v-;*  iie  his  native  allies  were  in  a 
fruitless  chase  after  the  separated  -^am,  and  their  consequent  fright  and 
dismay  when  they  saw  it.  They  so  feared  the  vengeance  of  the  return- 
ing mother,  that  they  nuide  almo:;t  incredible  exertions  to  avoid  it,  sucli 
as  doubling  upon  their  retreating  track  repeatedly  and  traveling  nearly 
all  night.  I  inquired  of  Toolooah  if  he  was  not  afraid  of  the  mother 
following  his  plainly  marked  trail  to  the  tent  and  wreaking  due  ven- 
geance. But  he  smiled  as  he  answered  that  he  hoped  she  would,  as  he 
felt  very  angry  at  himself  for  being  caught  in  such  a  predicament  with- 
out his  gun,  and  if  she  would  only  come  along  again  he  would  make 
due  amends.  lie  said  he  had  knoAvn  several  instances  wherein  the  cub 
of  the  polar  b"ar  had  been  killed,  and  where  the  mother  had  not  been 
injured,  but  had  never  known  any  evil  to  result  from  the  anger  of  the 
lattev,  unless  it  occurred  right  on  the  field  of  battle,  where  she  often 
displays  great  energy  in  the  defense  of  her  young,  though  she  certainly 
showed  a  lamentabl'  ;!bs;'ric^^>  of  that  Imit  in  this  particular  instance-. 
It  would  seem  from  this  that  either  Captain  Hall's  allies  were  needlessly 
frightened,  or  that  the  disposition  of  the  polar  bear  varies  much  with 
the  locality.  Joe,  who  was  with  Hall  in  all  his  Arct.  travels  and 
remembered  this  incident,  says  that  both  views  are  partially  correct, 
and  in  fact,  that  the  polar  bear  is  very  uncertain  in  his  combativeness. 
Probably  had  a  less  active  hunter  than  Toolooah,   who  was  agility 


i 


THE   POLAR    BEAR.  gl 

personified,  undertaken  the  assault,  the  result  would  have  i)een  dmVr- 
ent;  but  his  rapidity  evidently  confused  tlie  animal,  so  that  the  whole 
ti-agedy  was  over  before  she  really  comprehended  the  sitnation. 

As  illustrating  in  an  interesting  adventure  the  extreme  savageness  of 
the  polar  bear,  I  take  from  good  authority  tae  follcwing  anecdote:— 
-Not  many  years  ago,  the  crew  of  a  boat  belonging  to  a  ship  in  the 
whale-fishery  shot  at  a  bear  at  a  little  distance,  and  wouufied  it.     The 
animal  set  up  a  dreadful  howl,  and  I'an  along  the  ice  toward  the  boat 
liefore  he  reached  it  a  second  shot  was  fired,  which  hit  liim      This 
served  but  to  increase  Ids  fury.     He  ],resently  swam  to  the  boat  and 
in  attempting  to  get  on  board,  placed  one  of  his  fore  feet  upon  the 
gunwale;  but  a  sailor  having  a  hatchet  in  his  hand  cut  it  off.     The 
animal,  however,  still  continued  to  swim  after  them  till  they  arrived  at 
the  ship;  and  several  shots  were  fiivd  at  him.  which  took^effect;  but 
on  reaching  the  ship  he  immediately  ascended  the  deck  ;  and  the  crew 
having  fied  into  the  shrouds,  he  was  pursuing  them  thither  when  a  shot 
laid  him  dead  on  the  deck."      Mr.  Hearne,  an  Arctic  explorer,  says 
that  the  males  of  this  species  are,  at  a  certain  time  of  the  vear,  so  much 
attached  to  their  Uiates,  that  he  has  often  seen  one  of  them,  when  a 
female  was  killed,  come  and  put  his  paws  over  her,  and  in  this'position 
sufter  himself  to  be  shot  rather  tnan  quit  her  corpse. 

About  tne  middle  of  October,  1870,  while  Toolooah  was  in  Terror 
Bay.  he  killed  three  polar  bears  in  about  half  as  many  minutes      He 
had  descried  them  from  a  distance,  as  he  was  driving  his  do-s  and 
sledge  over  the  eastern  ridge  of  the  bay,  and  managed  to  so  dire.-t  his 
course  among  the  hummocks  of  ice  (the  ice-hummocks  are  the  immense 
cakes  of  ice  as  large  as  one  and  two-stoiy  buildings,  that  have  not 
melted  during  the  summer,    and  are  fi-ozen  every  winter  in  a  thick 
mass)  as  to  get  within  a  couple  of  hundred  yards  of  them  before  they 
noticed  his  presence,  when  he  slipped  the  dogs  from  the  sled    and 
although  the  open  water  along  the  shore  ice,  to  which  thev  alw  vs'  take 
when  pursued,  was  but  one  or  two  hundred  paces  distant,"  they  were  so 
slow  in  getting  under  way,  that  one  was  brought  to  bay  by  Vhe  do-s 
before  it  could  reach  the  water,  which  Toolooah  dispatched  with'a 
smgle  shot  of  his  Winchester  through  its  head,  and  so  quickly  that 


■n 


22 


NIMROD    IN    THE    NORTH. 


wlien  lie  gained  the  eclgo  of  the  ice-Uoe  the  othei*  two  were  not  over 
forty  ov  lil'ty  yards  away,  swiuiniing  for  dear  life,  altliough  they  did  not 
manage  to  save  themselves,  as  two  well  directed  shots  laid  them  out. 
Then  Toolooah,  extemijorizing  a  raft  from  a  small  floating  cake  of  i<'e, 
managed  to  get  out  to  both  of  them,  and,  having  taken  the  precaution 
to  pay  out  his  sledge-lashing  from  the  shore  as  he  went,  pulled  himself 
and  prey  back,  and  brought  us  the  three  robes  to  ^-erify  his  powers.  It 
is  said  that  the  Eskimo  of  Cumberland  Sound  fearlessly  attack  the  polar 
bear  in  their  frail  kiyaks,  or  light  sealskin  canoes,  but  are  afraid  of  them 
on  the  ice  or  land.  In  October,  1877,  an  enormous  female  with  two  cubs 
paid  an  Eskimo  encampment  in  this  sound  a  visit.  They  swam  over 
one  of  the  fjords,  probably  scenting  a  dead  whale  that  was  on  the  beach 
near  the  huts.  The  bears  made  a  very  lively  time  here,  and  a  consider- 
able outlay  of  ammunition  and  dogs  was  made  before  they  were  finally 
captured.  There  were  about  two  hundred  dogs  and  half  as  many 
natives,  besides  the  crews  of  two  whalers.  All  this  motley  crowd  made 
war  on  the  bears.  One  of  the  Avhaling  captains,  a  little  braver  than  the 
rest,  got  too  close  to  the  old  bear,  and  she  dealt  him  a  blow  that  knocked 
his  gun  many  feet  into  a  snow  bank ;  she  then  be<>'an  to  lunke  away 
wit'i  him,  but  was  prevented  by  the  Eskimo  and  dogs.  A  young  Eskinu) 
was  served  in  a  similar  manner,  but  sustained  quite  serious  injuries. 
Great  consterntition  and  fear  prevailed  among  the  women  and  children, 
and  that  memorable  night,  when  the  nannooks  be.-ieged  their  quiet 
canq),  was  long  a  lively  topic  of  conversation.  During  the  season 
the  common  hair  seal  have  their  young,  the  bears  begin  to  wander  u]) 
the  f  jcirds  in  search  of  them,  and  are  at  this  time  often  found  a  con- 
sideral)le  distance  from  the  open  water. 

Toolooah  killed  a  monstrous  polar  bear,  that  would  ])robably  turn 
11500  or  1400  pounds,  the  day  we  reached  the  northernmost  ca])eof  King 
William's  Land.  July  13.  Bruin  came  u})  the  beach  from  the  south, 
snuffing  by  thecnmi).  when  Toolooah  and  Fi'ank  weiv  tht>  only  oik^s  not 
absent,  and  wliile  the  dogs  w(^re  yet  harnessed  to  the  unloaded  sle(lgt\ 
But  a  good  view  of  the  situation  sent  him  off  on  the  sea  ice  a<  a  smart 
lope.  Toolooah  and  Frank  following  him  with  the  light  sledge  ovei'  the 
terribly  i-ougli  hummocks  of  Victoria  Channel.     The  nim^t^en  strong 


« •% 


|^i'''"i'"" "ii'iigiMiiMWIIlllllHlillllllli^^ 


111 


Hi 


m 


III 


u 


NIMROD    IN    THE    NORTH. 


and  excited  dogs  would  have  made  a  spectator  think  that  the  sledge  ',vas 
a  piece  of  paste-board,  so  lightly  did  it  carom  from  one  hummock  to 
another,  leaving  tracks  only  on  the  crests  of  the  snow  drifts  as  they 
Hew  after  their  enemy.  It  was  a  good  live-mile  chase  before  Toolooah 
got  near  enough  to  slip  his  team,  and  the  dogs  soon  commenced  nipping 
the  bear's  hamstrings  so  persistently  that  he  had  to  sit  down  on  them 
for  protection,  and  commenced  inlaying  a  sort  of  juggler's  game  with 
the  bolder  ones'  heads.  A  shot  thi'ough  the  neck  so  infuriated  him 
that  he  i)lunged  for  Toolooah,  who  was  only  a  few  steps  away,  but  the 
latter' s  activity  with  his  Winchester  carbine  i)ut  another  shot  through 
the  beast's  backbone,  and  he  lay  spread  out  on  the  ice,  a  huge,  helpless 
mass  of  bowlings  and  liivir.  There  were  thus  live  bears  killed  on  our 
sledge  journey,  which  lasted  from  April  1,  1870,  to  March  20,  1880 — 
nearly  one  year — Toolooah  scoring  them  all. 

This  " might jj-  hunter"  told  me  tliat  he  had  seen  the  polar  bear 
climb  up  the  smooth,  perpendicular  walls  of  icebergs  to  escape  from  his 
pursuers,  and  that  when  the  bergs  were  reasonably  high  he  generally 
succeeded  in  eluding  them,  as  it  was  very  dangerous  to  attempt  to 
ascend  l)y  cutting  niches  in  the  ice-wall  for  footholds,  which  is  the 
metliod  the  natives  adopt  in  pursuing  bears  under  these  circumstnnces. 
This  seems  almost  incredible,  and  I  have  never  seen  it  mentioned  by 
previous  Arctic  travelers  ;  but  I  consider  Tooloordi  altogether  too  good 
an  authority  to  lightly  cast  aside  what  he  affirms.  Lieutenant  Pnrry, 
in  1818,  after  miu'h  severe  labor,  succeeded  in  getting  on  to])  of  a  Hat 
iceberg  in  Bafflii's  Bay,  and  there  found  a  white?  bear  in  quiet  posses- 
sion ;  who,  discovering  the  party,  jumped  over  the  i)erpendi('uliir  side  of 
the  ice  mountain,  lifty-one  feet  into  tlie  sea,  and  swam  to  the  nenresr 
land,  whicli  was  over  twenty  miles  away— or  at  least  disappeared  in 
tliat  direction. 

It  may  surprise  the  reader  to  know  that  the  Eskimo  of  GnvMilnnd 
edit  and  publisli  an  irregularly  issued  newspaper  in  their  own  language, 
yet  such  is  the  fact,  and  ii  is  a  creditable  fact  despite  the  journal's 
name  —  Atavgagdlivtit  Xalinginarmik  Tvsaruminasassumik  I'nivkaf. 
In  n  country  where  the  sun  rises  and  sets  but  <)ur(>  a  year,  it  li  ay  be 
hard  to  tell  whether  it  is  an  annual  or  a  daily  publication.    Uut  whatever 


th:   polar  bear. 


25 


its  period  of  issue,  some  good  hunting  stories  are  told  in  it.     One  by 
Eskimo  writers  and  one  translated  by  Br.  Rink,  regarding  a  bear  liunt 
at  Narsak,  I  will  reproduce.     "At  this  place,  in  Greenland,"  the  story 
runs,  "polar  bears  are  very  rare.     A  party  of  seal  hunters,  having  put 
to  sea,  observed  a  very  strange  animal  swimming.     While  we  pursued 
it  on  its  track  towai-d  an  island  it  turned  landward,  whereupon  we  gave 
it  a  sign  by  calling  out  a  halloo  for  bears.     Once  at  our  shout  it  turned 
to  us,  but  on  seeing  us  it  turned  back  and  instantly  let  its  voice  be 
heard.     To  people  who  are  not  accustomed  to  it,  its  frightful  roai-ing 
and  hissing  are  most  extraordinary.    At  the  same  time  it  sounded  just  as 
if  one  more  was  approaching,  but  it  only  proved  to  be  the  echo  from  a 
small  island  in  front.     When  gradually  it  came  near  to  the  shore  with- 
out having  yet  been  wounded,  we  si)oke  to  each  other  of  setting  al)out 
it,  and  having  backed  our  kaijakfi  astern,  we  took  out  our  guns  ;  but  on 
cocking  mine,  I  observed  that  the  percussion  cap  had  dropped  into  the 
oakum.     AVhilst  I  was  getting  hold  of  another,  Adam  tired,  and  when 
I  was  aiming,  Andreas  also  fired,  and  then  I  likewise  gave  a  shot.     It 
was  really  amusing  to  observe  the  animal,  Avliich  I  never  thought  would 
move  so  quickly.     While  the  others  were  reloading  1  put  my  gun  aside 
and  pursued  it,  thinking  my  lance  would  now  be  better  ;  but  fearing  to 
come  too  near,  I  kept  a  proper  distance  and  threw  my  lance,  but  managed 
it  awkwardly,  hitting  the  beast  on  the  nape  of  its  neck.    On  being  hit  it 
stooped  down  without  turning  aside  in  the  leaSt,  and  tlie  lance  directly 
fell  oir.     The  second  time  I  missed.     AVhen  they  had  loaded  anew, 
Andreas  gave  one  shot  more,  after  which  it  appeared  quite  stiff,  iind  I 
supposed  it  to  be  dead,  when  suddenly  it  tui-ned  its  head  toward  us  and 
began  to  wheel  round.     Adam  then  gave  it  tlie  last  shot.     Again  it 
api)eared  stiff,  but  I  still  expected  it  would  revive,  and  therefore  gave  it 
the  linishing  stroke  with  my  lance,  when  it  was  done  for  and  quite 
immovable.     AVe  had  heard  people  say  that  the  bears  had  a  knack  of 
feigning  death,  but  having  got  its  liead  so  severely  wound.'d  it  r>'ally 
was  dead,  and  just  as  we  had  killed  it  a  ^r///rrZvT"  appeared  from  the 
noilhslde,  who  even  before  we  had  lired  had  heard  its  loud  roar,  so 
invfiilly  does  it  resound.     TIk^  i.huv  to  which  we  intended  to  tow  our 
giune  was  close  l)y ;  we  hauled  it  ashore  and  began  to  cut  it  up.     To 


frfvp 


3 


r1 


fi     A 


1  ;  I 


i 


h'i 


26 


NIMROD    IX    THE    NORTH. 


people  who  have  never  seen  sncli  a  beast,  its  fatness  is  really  surprisuig; 
unto  the  very  feet  nothing  but  grease  is  to  be  seen.  On  dragging  it  up 
the  beach,  I  measured  it,  and  was  just  able  to  span  its  body  completely. 
On  being  opened,  its  inward  parts  glistened  as  white  as  those  of  a  full 
grown  fat  reindeer."' 

Upwards  of  iifty  polar  bears,  says  Dr.  Rink,  the  same  authoi-ity  we 
have  just  quoted,  and  who  was  a  Danish  ofiicial  in  Greenland  many 
years,  are  on  an  average  shot  yearly  in  this  section  of  the  country,  of 
which  more  than  one-half  are  shot  in  the  environs  of  the  northernmost 
settlement  of  the  west  coast,  and  of  the  remainder  the  greater  part  at 
the  southernmost  extremity  of  the  country  on  the  same  coast,  where 
they  arrive  with  the  drift  ice  around  Cape  Farewell.     Throughout  the 
whole  intervening  tract  bears  are  scarce,  but  still  they  may  be  found 
everywhere,  and  solitary  sti-agglers  may  even  be  met  with  unexi)ectedly 
in  summer  in  the  interior  of  the  fjords.     In  the  north  of  Greenland,  on 
the  west  coast,  the  bear  is  pursued  upon  the  frozen  sea  with  the  aid  of 
dogs.     It  often  takes  refuge  on  the  top  of  an  iceberg,  where  it  is  sur- 
rounded and  h'  .d  at  bay  l)y  the  dogs  until  it  is  shot,  generally  not 
without  some  of  the  latter  being  lost  on  the  occasion.     In  the  north  the 
male  bears  at  least  seem  to  roam  about  in  winter  as  far  south  as  (58° 
north  latitude,  for  wherever  the  carcass  of  a  whale  may  be  found,  oi'  a 
rich  hunt  of  seals  or  white  whales  occurs  in  a  certain  place  witliiu  these 
confines,  there  several  bears  are  sure  soon  to  make  their  ai)pearance. 
In  the  soutli,  where  no  dogs  are  to  be  had,  for  instance,  the  nati\es 
generally  try  to  force  the  beai-  into  the  water  and  often  kill  it  with 
luirpoons  from  the  7m//a/,-s.     At  the  southernmost  stations  ])ears  have 
often  been  shot  close  to  the  houses,  being  apparently  attracted  by  the 
scent  from  the  human  dwelling  jilaces.     Several  years  ago  a  bear  had 
pushed  the  foremost  ])art  of  his  body  into  a  house  passage  at  night,  but 
getting  into  a  difficulty  on  account  of  linding  it  too  nai'icw,  was  kilh'd 
by  the  inhabitants,  wiio,  after  having  Ix^eii  wai'ued  by  thfir  dogs,  lircd 
at  it  through  the  doorway  and   from  the  window.     A\  aiiollier  time,  a 
woman  staying  alone  with  her  child  in  a  iiouse,  obsei'ved  a  bear  outside. 
Thinking  it  might  be  likely  to  give  hei' a  call,  she  placed  the  burning 
lamp  at  the  window,  keeping  some  straw  at  hand.    The  bear  soon  came 


THE    POLAR    BEAR. 


2ir 


on,  pusliing  its  head  throu^li  the  intestine-formed  curtain  of  the 
window,  whereupon  slie  threw  the  straw  into  the  lamp,  at  the  blaze  of 
which  the  bear  retivated.  It  then  tried  to  scratch  a  hole  through  the 
wall  from  another  side,  but  was  killed  by  some  passing  travelers. 

AVhile  camped  on  the  northern  side  of  Simpson's  Strait,  in  the  fall 
of  '79,  and  waiting  for  them  to  freeze  over,  we  all  pai-ticipated  in  an 
exciting  foot-race  of  a  couple  of  miles,  after  a  large  polar  bear  that  had 
been  started  up  some  seven  or  eight  miles  inland.  Eruin,  however, 
placed  Simpson's  Strait  between  the  pursuers  and  pursued,  and  thus 
saved  his  robe.  Toolooah,  never  exhausted,  waylaid  a  herd  of  rein- 
deer that  had  remained  stupid  spectators  of  the  bear  chase,  and  by 
killing  two  and  wounding  two  others,  completed  a  score  of  nine  in 
as  many  hours. 

AVhile  living  among  the  Netschilluk  Eskimo,  Avho  inhabit  the  shores 
of  Simpson's  Strait,  1  remember  th^ir  telling  me  a  story  of  a  very 
strange  animal  they  had  met  at  long  intervals  of  many  years,  when 
upon  their  summer  reindeer  hunts  with  Jiayahs  and  spears.  They 
described  it  as  a  black  monster,  as  large  and  heavy  as  a  musk  ox, 
with  a  face  like  that  of  a  man  and  feet  like  those  of  a  bear.  They 
report  them  to  be  very  ferocious,  making  sad  havoc  among  the  Eskimo 
<logs  tliat  attempt  to  bring  them  to  bay,  and  when  thus  irritated  do  not 
hesitate  to  attack  the  natives  themselves.  Joe  (Ebierbing)  tells  me  that 
the  Kinnepetoo  Eskimo  f)f  Chesterfield  inlet,  who  are  armed  with  guns 
obtained  from  the  Hudson's  l?ay  Company,  have  killed  several  of  these 
beasts,  so  they  report,  but  I  have  never  been  abie  to  procure,  or  even 
to  see,  any  of  their  robes.  I  tliink  it  can  be  no  other  than  the  grizzly 
bear  of  North  Ameilca,  Avhich  is  thus  shown  to  occasionally  extend  its 
limits  as  far  nortli  as  the  Arctic  Ocean  during  tlie  short  summer  of  that 
region,  and  no  doubt  returns  to  the  timber  limit,  nuiny  hundreds  of 
nii](>s  to  tile  southward,  to  liil)ernate. 

Speaking  of  hibernating,  there  is  probably  no  other  subject  of  Arctic 
zoology  ou  uiiich  tlKM'e  is  such  a  vni'iety  of  opinitm  and  of  which  there 
IS  so  littli'  known,  tiiid  so  much  iiiteivsting  information  yc^t  to  be  gained, 
as  pertains  to  Ihe  hibernation  of  tli.'  northern  bear.  The  very  lirst  con- 
clusiim  to  which  one  would  naturally  jump  is,  that  this  species  of  all 


'4l| 


nil 


(; 


; 


[!|    -\ 


^■"Ifr" 


28  NIMROD    IN    THE    NORTH. 

others  would  be  the  very  one  to  seek  such  a  state  as  a  protection  from 
the  intense  and  bitter  cold  of  the  polar  winter ;  and  I  am  much  inclined 


INTERIOU  OF  A   IJEAR  irOLE. 


totliiuk  tluit  tlic  ])ub]ished  opinions  of  niiiny  writers  have  been  based 
on  such  conclusions  i-atlier  than  on  personal  observation.  Sfmie  author- 
ities are  found  wIk.  deny  that  the  ].olar  bear  hibernates  a  I  all.  in  the 
true  sense  of  the  word,  and    from  what  little   I  know  of  th<'  sul)iect,  T 


THE    POLAR    BEAR. 


feel  disposed  to  side  with  them.     Dr.   Kicliirdson,   the  naturalist  of 
several  Arctic  expeditions,  and  a  most  conscientions  and  -olnminons 
writer  on  tlie  natural  history  of  the  polar  regions  that  he  traversed, 
maintains  that  the  hibernating  of   tliese  animals  is  conhned   to   the 
females  during  the  time  they  are  with  cub;  and  yet  1  iind  by  native 
testimony  that  they  have  slain  them  while  in  tliis  condition,  and  I 
believe  this  can  be  relied  on.     Others  think  that  the  mothers  remain 
secluded  while  the  cubs  are  too  weak  to  elude  pursuit,  but  it  is  hardly 
worth  while  to  deny  this,   so  numerous  are  the  cases  furnished  by 
civilized  and  savage  observers  Avho  liave  secured  the  cubs  wlien  they 
could  not  have  been  mu(di  over  a  few  days  old.     I  am  prone  to  believe 
that  the  polar  bear  never  hibernates  under  any  circumstances.     The 
mother,  for  a  few  days  on  either  side  of  the  cul)s^  birth,  may  remain 
secluded  in  the  den  she  has  excavated  in  some  deep  snow  bank,  and  is 
more  shy  then  than  at  any  other  time ;  but  beyond  this,  and  the  fact 
that  bear  lioles  are  occasionally  found,  there  is  nothing  upon  which  to 
base  any  theories  in  favor  of  hibernation,  while  the  facts  that  polar 
bears  of  both  sexes  have  been  encountered  and  killed  in  every  month  of 
the  year,  and  in  all  sorts  of  conditions,  are  tlie  opposite  statements  in 
the  case.     The  bear  holes  in  the  snow  linnks  are  very  interesting  little 
affairs,  but  the  fact  that  they  are  only  found  after  tli{^  cubbing  seas(m, 
and  never  during  the  coldest  weather  of  wintei-.  would  show  that  they 
are  not  used  permanently;  unless  it  be  argued   the  maker  has  too   care- 
fully secreted  them  to  be  discovered  at  this  time.     Lieutenant  Payer, 
of  the  Austrian  expedition,  was  fortunate  enough  to  see  them  occupy, 
ing  thes.>  abodes,  though  even  the  Eskinu)  seldoui,  if  ever,  iiave  the 
opportunity.     He  says  :— '*  But  almost  iuimediately  again  the  bear  dis- 
appeared into  the  snow,  and  when  we  came  to  the  j)lace  of  liis  disap- 
pearance we  discovered  the  winter  retreat  of  a  faiuily  of  bears.     It  was 
cosily  hollowed  out  of  a  luass  of  sm)w  lying  und<>r  a  I'ocky  wall.     The 
bear  had  shown  herself  only  once,  but  insisted  all  our  efforts  to  seduce 
her  to  leave  the  shelter  she  had  chosen.     Xor  had  >ve  any  special  desire 
to  cree])  on  all  fours  into  the  narrow,  dark  habitation.     Sumbu  (one  of 
the  dogs)  only  was  bold  («uough  to  follow  her;  but  he  saw  too  many 
things  which  led  him  to  return  very  ciuickly.     From  the  snow  which 


i'l 


mjIII 


m 


NIMROD    IN    THE    NORTH. 


1     t 


!'■  f 


I 


ia(  l,....n  thrown  up  artluM-ntnuicecr  tliis  lu.l,.,  we  inferml  that  this 
lacl  been  1  lie  work  of  tlie  bear  in  her  ellorts  to  eh-se  the  approach  to 
lier  ab.Hh..  It  was  tJie  ih-st  time  we  eanie  upon  a,  lan.ilv  of  bears  in 
tlieir  wu.K.r  quarters,  or  liad  the  clu.nee  of  addin-  any  thin-  to  our 
scanty  know]e,l<;e  as  to  tlie  winter  sleep  of  those  animals.  I^fiadendorff 
does  not  admit  that  they  sleep  ,l„ring  the  winter.  He  consider.^i  the 
bear  fur  too  lei-n  to  bo  able  to  do  so." 

Dr.  llae,  a  veteran  Arctic  explorer  in  a  good  deal  of  the  same  region 


YOUXO    BEAK   CIIAIXED. 

Where  my  explorations  were  east,  says  that  an  anecdote  was  once 
told  hini  by  a  credible  native  eye-witness  of  the  scene,  of  a  polar  bear 
kdhng  a  walrus  with  a  piece  of  ice,  which  he  gives  in  his  own  wo.ds  as 
tolUnvs:--  I  and  two  or  three  otlier  Innuits  were  attempting  to  api)roach 
some  walrus,  in  winter,  lyino-  on  the  ice  close  to  the  water  kept  open  1  .- 
tlie  strong  current  in  Fox's  Channel.  As  we  were  getting  near  we  saw 
that  a  large  white  bear  was  before  us.  He  had  reached,  in  the  most 
stealthy  manner,  a  high  ridge  oi  ice,  immediately  above  whe.e  the 
walrus  were  lying.     He  then  seiz-.d  a  inass  of  ice  in  his  paws,  reared 


US 

to 
in 
iir 
•ff 
le 

m 


THE    POLAR    BEAR.  g^ 

himself  on  liis  hind  legs,  and  threw  the  ice  with  great  force  on  the  head 
oi  ahall-grouii  walrus  and  then  sprang  down  upon  it  "  The  Eskimo 
then  ran  np,  speared  the  hear,  and  found  the  walrus  all  I  at  dead  thus 
securing  botii  aninuils.  J)r.  Kae  adds  that  the  bear  threw  the  ic-  as  if 
he  were  "left-paweil." 

AVhile  the  llansa  of  the  second  Gernum  expedition  was  beset  in  the 
ice  on  the  east  coast  of  Greenland,  in  September,  1809,  a  she-bear  and 
her  cub  approached  the  vessel.     The  dam  being  killed,  the  youn-  one 


LASSOIXG   A   POLAIl  KKAIJ   CIIJ,    AUG.    8,    1880 


was  captured.  Tt  got  away,  however,  but  was  recaptured  in  the  water 
and  to  make  sure  of  its  staying,  chained  to  a  huge  anchor.  The  men 
then  built  a  snow  house  for  it,  the  tioor  being  covered  with  shavings  for 
a  bed  ;  but  It  despised  these  luxuries  and  bedd. ,  ui  the  snow  Some 
tHiic  alter  ,t  disappeared  with  the  huge  chain,  and  from  tlie  wehdit  of 
I'on  there  is  no  doubt  where  it  brought  up  when  it  attempted  to'swim 
u.vav. 


■tijfrii'fliBW 


! 


§ 


f'i! 

r 


82  NIMROD    IN    THE    NORTH. 

When  our  stay  of  two  dreary  years  in  the  Arctic  came  to  a  close,  we 
hade  adieu  to  our  Eskimo  friends  and  boarded  the  whaler  "George  and 
Mary,"  of  New  liedl"<  •  d,  hound  for  home.  The  whaling  season  hail  not 
been  good;  one— only  one— whale,  a  seventy-barrel  lish— hav;ng  been 
caught;  so  as  we  bent  onr  course  for  Hndson's  Strait.  Cai)tain  Baker 
thought  he  would  take  a  last  hurried  peep  into  Roe's  Welcome,  as  we 
wended  our  way  home,  to  see  if  a  whale  could  not  be  i.iised.  'J'he  8tli 
of  August  saw  us  entering  its  southern  mouth.  When  scpuirely  olf 
AVhale  Point,  the  man  in  the  crow's  nest  (the  look-out  place  on  the  fore- 
mast to  watch  for  whales)  reported  a  couple  of  polar  bears  off  our 
starboard  beam.  The  ship  was  hove  to,  and  the  mate's  boat  lowered 
and  sent  in  pursuit,  with  myself  in  the  bow.  It  was  a  she-bear  and  a 
three-months'  cub  we  had  sighted,  who,  hearing  us  lowering  the  be. .1, 
immediately  took  to  the  water.  The  cub  kept  close  to  its  mother  and 
occasionally  took  a  rest  on  her  shoulders.  As  it  became  evident  to  the 
dam  tliat  in  a  fair  race  she  could  not  escape,  she  crawled  upon  a  large 
cake  of  ice,  roaring  furiously  at  us— not  unlilve  the  deep  roar  of  a  lion — 
and  faced  us  for  a  tight.  At  about  forty  yards  I  put  a  bullet  through 
her  back,  just  behind  the  slioulders,  which  laid  her  ?wrs  cle  covthat. 
Her  efforts  to  back  again  into  the  water  were  ended  by  a  shot  from  the 
mate  'through  her  swaying  liead.  AVe  Avei'e  now  left  to  face  the  little 
cub.  which  I  was  extremely  anxious  to  cai)ture  alive.  A  lance-warp 
was  procured,  a  running  noose  made,  and  the  little  fellow  once  lassoed 
was  easily  dragged  into  the  water.  From  the  ice-cake  to  the  ship  he 
rode  upon  the  dead  body  of  his  mother.  No  sooner  was  he  pulled  up 
to  the  deck  than  we  "triangled  him"  Avith  three  converging  roi)es.  at 
which  he  bit  with  a  spitefubK^ss  that  kei)t  us  at  a  respectful  distance. 
The  captain  disai)])ointed  us  all  by  ordering  him  to  be  shot,  as  h(^  con- 
sidered him  too  dangerous  a  passenger  to  have  on  board  in  the  «nent  of 
a  storm,  as  he  nnght  break  loose  and  create  an  uncomfortable  consterna- 
tion, as  had  been  done  once  before.  It  was  doubtless  just  as  well  that 
the  mate  put  a  pistol  to  his  head  :  for  we  never  afterward  saw  a  seal  or 
Avalrus,  and  the  sleek  little  rascal  would  probably  have  died  of  starvation 
on  our  hands. 

The  mate  of  tlie  "George  and  Mary"  had  visited  the  Arctic  regions 


1 


THE    POLAR    BEAR.  33 

on  a  whaling  cruise  some  years  before,  and  returning  homeward  had 
raptured  a  polar  bear  cub,  the  dam  being  killed.  The  robe  was  striimed 
Ircm  the  mother  and  placed  in  the  bottom  of  a  large  cask,  and  in  this 
fhe  cub  w.>s  imprisoned,  the  staves  being  b«,re<l  full  of  augur  holes  for 
ventdatu)n,  and  the  cask  lashed  to  a  convenient  part  of  the  decks  Dur 
ing  a  fearful  storm  it  broke  loose  from  its  fastenings  and  brought  up 
against  something  that  broke  in  one  of  the  heads,  and  the  cub  escaped 
on  the  deck.  The  sailors  took  to  the  rigging,  the  cook  deserted  the 
captam  s  "flap- jacks,"  and  even  the  helmsman  left  the  wheel  to  look 
after  Itself ;  and  it  nas  some  time  before  Bruin.  Jr.,  could  be  persuaded 
to  relmquish  command  by  a  bullet  through  his  brain. 


sa 


n  l\ 


CHAPTER   II. 


SHOOTING   AMONG  Tilt:   SEALS   AND  SEA-HORSES. 


The  reader  -will  remember 
that  our  winter  caiiii)  '.vas  in 
tlie  noi-tliern  part  of  Hud- 
son's Bay,  among  the  Iwillik 
Eskimo.  The  name  Iwillik 
is  derived  from  the  Eskimo 
word  Ive-ioick  (walrus)  and 
sig'uilies  walrus -eaters,  the 
walrus  being  the  principal 
source  of  food  among  these 
people.  With  these  natives 
were  a  few  Netschilluks 
(seal-eaters)  whose  original 
homes  had  been  with  the 
great  body  of  their  large 
tribe,  on  and  near  King  William's  Land,  in  the  Arctic  Ocean.  Living 
thus  ainong  the  seal-eaters  and  walrus-eaters,  I  had  occasion  to  see  and 
hear  much  concerning  the  habits  of,  and  their  hunting  adventures  with, 
these  curious  amphibious  animals  that  supplied  them  with  their  daily 
sustenance. 

The  Walrus,  or  as  he  was  formerly  and  is  still  sometimes  called,  the 
morse  or  sea-horse  (the  Triclieclms  rosmarns,  Linn.,  of  scientists)  may 
be  popularly  described  as  an  immense  seal,  with  upper  canine  teeth 
prolonged  into  huge  tusks.  The  Aveight  of  the  walrus  can  be  easily 
remembered  as  a  ton,  although  that  may  be  slightly  in  excess  of  the 
average.  They  attfan  a  lengrh  of  from  fifteen  to  eighteen  feet,  and  half 
as  much  around  the  fore-ti'ppers.  These  fore-flipi)ers  are  some  two  feet 
long  and  capable,  when  extended,  of  covering  a  considerable  area,  and 


SEALS    AND    SEA-HORSES.  g, 

of  foiving  tl,e.n  rapidly  ,|„o„h1,  the  wat.rwhen  propellea  l.vthe  Hhoit 
stout  nnn,.  They  also  use  them  to  protect  and  carry  their  ilFspri,,,.  o^ 
wounded  con,rade«.  TIte  inside  of  these  paws  is  covered  by  a  In^y 
cnt.He,  that  would  n.ake  one  think  they  were  hard  workers,  and  J. 
.leatly  subserves  the  purpose  of  protecting  their  palms  in  scrand,li„. 
around  over  the  rough  i.v.  Son.e  writers  have  clain.ed  that  they  pos! 
sess  the  power  of  suction  in  these  mend,e>s,  as  the  house-Hies  are  supposed 
to  possess  n  .n  their  feet,  and  that  it  is  by  this  nteans  they  so  ilily 
elnnb  npon  the  huge  ice-cakes,  where  they  are  so  often  seen,  especially 
m  the  Arctic  sununer.     It  is  a  tl,.,,ry,  ho.ever,  wluch  needs  conliru.a"- 

I'ent  y  ™":"'  ""'l'"'''  »"«=  l"-"!"--!.-  --ooked,  are  considered  a 
g.e.,t  del,<.acy  by  the  Innuits,  as  the  Eskimo  call  themselves,  and  I 
mns  say  that  those  who  have  habituated  then.selves  to  tki^  ■•  .,  in 
whole  or  m  part,  a.e  not  disi.„sed  to  question  tlieir  liking.  They  cook 
fhe,a  by  snnntering  all  day  in  the  balf.boiling  water  contained  in  their 
ude,  native  stone  kettles,  supported  over  their  peculiar,  native  stone- 
honps  an,  when  thus  prepared,  leaving  oat  a  slight  walrus  flavor,  they 
are  not  unlike  a  dish  of  pickle,!  pig,-  feet,  served  hot 

The  form  of  governnient  of  the  Iwilliks,  if  they  can  be  said  to  have 

tlehr."'°  ;'";'"""""'■  ^  '""  '"  ""  «l-.vei- of  a  walrus  is  awarded 
the  head,  an,l  one  fore  and  one  hi„,l  flipper,  in  .addition  to  the  re..ular 
share  apportion,,!  to  any  ,me  who  m.ay  ,.onie  along  ami  help  kiU  the 
-"...a.  orev,.n  to  those  lazy  beings  who  only  appear  in  tin.e  to  help 
.1.  g  It  to  the  village  near  by.  Ag,dn.  wh.  n  it  reaches  the  village,  the 
caicass  may  undergo  am.th,.,.  sub-division,  .,.r  the  refusal  ,.orner  of  an 
Innmt  s  heart  is  rouiule,!  off  with  the  most  al,oua,ling  charity 

lie  flavor  of  the  walru.,  is  almost  identi™!  with  that  of  the  coarser 
ams.     riiis  IS  m...  surprrsiag,  since  in  North  Hudson's  B.ay  he  derives 
IS  main  sustenance  from  these  salty  bivalves,  for  procuring  which  h 
ulla,iious-Io„king  tusks  s,.em  espe,.ially  designed.     I  thinl  I  cannot 
better  casern.,,  the  walrus  flavor  and  meat,  tlmn  by  citing  tmr 
.0  1 ,  f    ough  Te.vas  beef,  marbled  with  fat.  and  soaked  in  clam-inice 
think   he  wo  would  be  so  near  alike,  that  it  would  take  an  E,,ki    ,  To 

repulsive ;  but  much  of  this  distaste  lies  in  tlie  imagination,  and  can  be 


,li 


i<|{ 


iin 


ii 


I  \  m 


36 


NIMROD    IN    THE    NORTH. 


overcome  in  the  same  way  that  is  done  by  the  frog-hater,  who  eats  frogs 
as  birds,  and  then  imitates  Oliver  Twis  . 

The  llesh  of  tlie  walrus  is  protected  by  a  thick  blanket  of  fat,  or 
blubber,  which  allows  it  to  resist  the  cold  water  of  the  Arctic  seas. 
This  coating  yields  nearly  a  barrel  of  oil ;  and  this,  with  its  tusks  and 
occasionally  its  hide,  nudces  it  a  constant  victim  to  the  avarice  of  the 
human  race.  Its  tusks  are  its  distinguishing  feature,  their  whiteness 
being  conspicuous  against  its  dark  breast  for  a  great  distance.  They 
are  from  one  to  two  feet  in  length  when  full  grown,  and  weigh  nearly  live 


SKrr.L   OF   WALRUS. 


ll   i 


pounds,  bringing  about  t\v(Mity-live  cents  a  pound  in  the  ivory  market, 
one  side  being  often  larger  than  tlu^  other.  AVlienever  this  is  ilic  case, 
the  shorter  is  usually  the  stouter,  thus  etpializing  the  weight.  T  think 
this  would  indicate  tliat  tln'  morse  is  not  inclined  to  use  the  tusks 
equally  in  digging  for  clams,  or  any  other  continuous  labor  with  lliem, 
being,  so  far  as  his  tusks  are  concerned,  right  or  left  handed,  so  to 
speak.  The  tusks  are  used  as  weapons  of  defense  and  olfense,  and  accord- 
ing to  some,  the  walruses  ol'ten  take  part  in  closely  contested  contlicts 
with  polar  bears  above,  and  luirwhals  beneath,  the  water.    I  think  the 


SEALS    AND    SEA-HORSES  37 

polar  bears  often  attack  the  smaller  ones,  and  succeed  in  killin-  them 
by  a  powerful  blo\v  from  their  paws,  or  in  stunning-  them  in  thi"  man- 
ner and  compieting  their  destruction  at  their  leisure  afterward  ;  for  the 
bear  is  cunning  enough  to  crawl  right  on  top  of  and  kill  the  common 
Arctic  seal,  the  most  wary  animal  in  these  regions,  and  he  could  there- 
fore easily  do  so  with  the  .sJupid  sea-horse.      Still,  I  think  the  larger 
ones,  lying  as  close  to  the  open  water  as  they  usuallv  do,  and  weighhi- 
about  twice  as  much  as  their  opponents,  ought  to  make  a  successful 
defense  until  they  could  dive  beyond  th.'ir  reach.     Some  give  Bruin 
the  credit  of  being  smart  enough  to  take  a  large  stone,  or  block  of  ice 
between  his  paws,  and  (conveiting  himself  i,ito  a  catapult)  using  it  to 
crack  his  victim's  thick  skull  by  a  blow  from  a  distance,  especially 
where  he  is  favored  by  his  position  on   a  precipitous  cliif,  or  the  per- 
pendicuhir  wall  of  an  icebero' 

Th.^  contents  of  the  stomach  of  a  walrus,  consisting  mostly  of  crushed 
Hams,  ,s  one  of  the  greatest  delicacies  of  the  Innuits,  but  I  was  never 
starve<l  long  enough  t(»  be  tempted  to  partake  of  this  natural  clam- 
•'"'o^^'l''''    wl'ile    living    in    these    regions,    although    .Mijoying    those 
prepared  at  houie.    Captain  Hall,  when  in  this  same  country  and  on  a 
walrus  hunt,  concluded,  from  the  fact  that  rarely  any  part  of  a  claui- 
shell  larger  than  a  din.e  is  fouml  in  the  sea-horse's  stomach,  and  from 
hn.lmg  at  various  times  a  single  shell  close  by  ;,  walrus-hole  , or  aperture 
in  tlu.  ice  where  the  brute  sticks  its  hea<l  through  to  blow  or  breathe) 
that  the  walrus  digs  but  one  clam  at  a  time  from  the  bottom  of  the  sea' 
aud  thou  .-omes  to  thn  surfac<>  to  l)low  and  eject  the  shell      When  T  first 
heard  of  this  clam  diet  of  the  walrus,   1   thought  there  w„uld  be  no 
troubh'  in  obtaining  them  on  some  of  the  sand  beaches  I  had  seen  near 
cnnip,  but  I  soon  f(,und  that  if  I  wanted  chuns  I  nu.st  take  them  second- 
ha.ul.  a  Ja  Inu.if,  IVou,  the  walrus.     The  shore-ice  in  North  Hudson's 
Bay  iorms  to  about  six  to  eight  feet  in  thickness,  an.l  there  is  an 
avetage  rise  an.l  n.ll  in  the  ti.le  of  about  iifteen  feet:  so,  for  about 

tuenty-rtve  feet  below  high-water  mark  (where  t  he  cl,,m  is  supposed  to  be 
happiest)  the  shore  is  frozen  soli.lly  some  distauc  i„,o  the  cou.ponent 
earth  or  sand,  and  nochuu  with  any  regard  for  its  personal  <-omroit  is  tu 
be  found  nearer  than  eight  or  ten  feet  of  the  surface  of  the  lowest  tides. 


in; » *l 


^I'li 


38 


NIMROD    IN    THE    NORTH. 


m 


!M()st  of  the  autumn  of  1878  was  occupied  by  uiy  i)ai'ty  in  surveying 
the  ill-cluu'ted  northern  shores  of  tlte  bay.  Coh^nel  (fikler  and  tlie  two 
men  wliik'd  away  a  i)ortion  of  their  time  in  short  excursions  witli  tlie 
shot-gun  and  rifle  ;  but  an  accurate  census  of  the  faiuia  of  the  neighbor- 
hood, taken  before  and  after  these  expeditions,  would — like  the  con- 
tinuously tempestuous  weather  of  that  season — have  shown  no  change. 
Colonel  Gilder  was,  however,  a  little  more  successful  on  the  l()th  of 
October,  when  he  killed  two  walruses,  on  an  island  about  twenty 
miles  distant,  and  brought  their  tusks  back  as  trophies.  I  therefore 
determined  to  try  my  luck  at  the  sanu^  Sj)ort,  and,  combining  business 
with  pleasure,  linisliingmy  survey  of  the  coast  to  the  (uistwai'd,  I  started 
on  the  lOtli  with  Frank  and  a  boat-load  of  natives  ;  but  the  day  after 
proved  squally  and  tempestuous,  and  on  reaching  the  island  where  the 
natives  were  camped-  nbout  ten  miles  from  the  walrus  island — it  sud- 
denly turned  very  cold,  and  my  Eskimo  hunters  could  not  be  indiict'd 
to  proceed  further.  Here  we  reujained  for  three  days  and  nights  of 
bitter  cold  weather.  Then  my  northern  friends  determined  u]>on  a 
homeward  journey  back  to  the  mainland,  in  order  to  build  their  igloos 
or  winter  snow-houses,  as  the  ice  \»as  forming  ra]iidly  and  it  was  now 
altogether  too  cold  in  their  foop/l-s,  or  sealskin  tents,  to  remain  there 
comfortably.  T  was  fairly  renumeraled.  however,  by  comjtleting  my 
survey  in  the  vicinity,  and  on  the  'JHd  started  homeward.  'I'lie  slushy 
ice  that  alway  foi'uis  on  salt  water  just  befoi'e  it  freezes,  and  closely 
resembles  loose  snow  thrown  into  the  Avater,  retarded  our  i)rogress  c<m- 
siderably,  whenever  we  nea red  the  land,  and  warned  us  in  unmistakable 
language  that  the  long  ])olar  winter  was  at  hand.  Keachiug  the  main- 
laud.  1  had  a  fair  shot  at  a  huge  walius's  head,  whose  owner  had  crawled 
upon  a  small  granite  tip  of  rock  near  the  shore  ;  l)ut  as  the  ball  struck 
him  in  the  upp-r  jaw,  he  (piickly  bade  us  jidieu.  'eaviug  a  loug  streidv 
of  opale.scent  grease  on  the  surface  of  the  watiT  to  uiark  his  subacpieous 
course.  A  walrus's  carcass  lloated  ashore,  a  few  weeks  latei'.  not  far 
from  the  scene  of  my  bad  shooting,  and  Toolooah  aiul  other  luuuits 
believed  it  to  be  mine.  1  was  not  ])articulai'  to  c'aim  it  though,  since  it 
was  worthless  foi'  auv  thing  but  dog-l'ooii.  \^y  the  custom  of  the 
country,  however,  it  belonged  to  the  man  who  found  it,  limited  by  the 


SEALS    AND    SEA-HOJISES. 


39 


ri^rhts  of  possession  jilivady  explainnd,  ami  T  did  not  even  take  tlie 
trouble  to  exaniiup  its  jaw,  especially  when  I  lieai'd  of  tlie  pro- 
digious number  of  wounded  walrus  that  must  have  been  swinnning 
around  in  Hudson's  liay,  just  befo)-.i  this  one  appeared  wliicli  was 
tliiown  u})  on  the  beach. 

J3y  the  1st  of  Februaiy,  '79,  tlie  fcwKskimo  wlio  had  been  clustered 
around  my  permanent  camp  on  the  maiidand  had  moved  over  to  Depot 
Island,  three  miles  distant,  that  site  being  more  available  for  walrus- 
hunting  in  the  ice-floes,  which  season  was  tlien  lirst  commencing,  and  for 
the  first  time  among  these  savage  sons  of  Boreas,  I  was  brought  into 
contact  with  one  of  their  supei'stitions  that  caused  me  no  little  annoy- 
ance. When  the  reindeer-hunting  season  is  over,  some  time  from 
December  to  February,  d.'p(Mi(ling  upon  the  locality  and  season,  and 
nearly  ail  the  meat  resulting  therefrom  disposed  of,  the  walrus  and  seal 
come  into  the  Eskimo  market  and  completely  exclude  the  reindeer, 
which  from  that  date  becomes  forbidden  fruit.  The  Innuit  who  has 
relincpiished  reinde.-r  meat  tears  down  his  old  igloo  or  snow-hut  and 
builds  a  new  one.  as  he  miisf  not  eat  wali'us  or  seal,  or  work  cm  sealskin 
clothing,  in  an  igloo  where  the  llesh  of  the  now  discarded  reindeer  had 
been  eaten,  or  clothinu'  made  from  its  hide.  The  ccmtrary  rule  is  also 
good,  foi'all  woi'k  on  reintleer  clothing  must  cease  as  soon  as  the  new- 
igloo  is  made  their  habitati(m. 

So  fai'  is  (his  superstition  cavi'ied,  that  on  one  occasion,  several  years 
ago— so  Ah'-mou,  a  trustworthy  Twillik  Innuit.  inlVu-med  me— when 
about  one-half  of  the  imtives  then  living  in  IwiUik  Bay  (the  Kepulse 
Bay  of  the  white  man)  had  cotnmenced  their  leindeer  Lent,  the  walrus 
and  seal  su(hleidy  becam.>  very  scarce,  owing  to  severe,  i)rotracted 
northern  winds  holding  the  ice-tioes  off  the  shor.'.  The  other  half  of 
the  natives  still  had  a  ].lentiful  siii.i.ly  of  r.'indeer  flesh  :  but  Avhat  was 
one  mail's  meat  was  auofhcr  mair^  p(.ison,  and  the  lirst  half  had  nearly 
starved  to  death  in  devotion  to  their  religion,  alongside  of  the  far  moi'e 
esteemed  reindeer  ment.  when  a  lucky  change  of  wind  saved  them 
from  breaking  this  Innuit  commandmenl.  or  i)e)'haps  fiom  starvation. 
Hhorlly  after  their  establishment  at  J)epot  Island,  their  walrus  and  seal 
hunting  was  amply  rewarded  with  success,  but  I  found  it  impossible  to 


I  ■ -I 


i 


a  f 


III 


.'I' 


40 


NTMli(yy    IN    THE    NORTH. 


W 


secure  any  of  tlie  ilrsli  Tor  mvself  or  for  do^-food  wliile  I  lived  in  my 
old  iu'loo.  If  1  would  oidy  build  another,  Jis  they  besought  ni<ao  do, 
even  if  on  the  site  of  the  old  one,  tlicy  would  liring  me  an  al)undan('e. 
Natives  came  ovn-  daily,  but  brought  no  walrus  meat,  nor  touched  the 
reindeer  meat  of  the  few  who  ivmained.  If  we  would  tak«^  our 
dogs  to  Depot  Islaiul,   they  woukl  be  fed  generously,  and  this  plan 


niscoVKItrXd    A    IIEIU)   OF   WALUrs    IX    AX  OPKX   ICE-PACK. 


was  finally  adoi^ted,  to  the  satisfaction  of  all  parties,  the  natives  doing 
all  the  woi'k.  This  supei'.stition  is  founded  on  the  belief  that  there 
exist  ods.  antagonistic  to  each  other,  one  I'uling  tlie  seas  and  all 

^'"'^  "  "'  i"'.  Jiiid  till'  other  the  land  with  its  beasts  and  birds  ;  aud 

they  s.     .  to  appease  their  I'espective  divine  jealousies  by  holding  true 


SEALS    AND    SEA-HORSES.  ^^ 

nllesianoe  to  only  on«  at  a  tin..,  .li^.v.-a.aing  ,l,e  otli.r  eonipk-tely 

I  will  m.k,.  .„  extrart,  fro,,,  0.,,,r,l  ,1.  ^v,.,,  the  ,.|„.„„ide,.  ot  the 
,.e,.l„,,  e.l  voya«...s  ot  «a,.e„t,„  to  give  ,„y  ,«.,,e,.  an  undent  a<.,.,a,„t  ot 

ti.-™  n,s:^..TI,e  „ea.|,..,.s,.,--  he  .ay.s,  si.eaki,,«ol-  the  ™l,.,,s,  .-isa 
»o...l-lnl  »t,-,mg  ,„„„sterof  the  »ea,  ,n„,.h  l.i«ge.- than  an  oxe,  ,vl,i,.h 
l.-..|.s  ..„„t,n„ally  „,  the  sea,  having  a  skin  like  a  sea-calfe  o.  seaie  with 
v.-.y  »l...,t  l,ay,e,  n,„,„he,l  like  a  lion  ;  a„,l  „u„,y  ,i„,e.  thev  Ive  n„„n 

""  ■".;  '":■;■  ';'■*■  r"'^' " '•  ""'''^"* >■"" ""■"- ""■"■  "•- 'i- <>■- 

' '  V'    :"' :  '"■•'■•  '""  '""-■-  -"'  ■•""""'•"I.V  it  l,a  I,  two  vo„n.. 

;:r  ".•■'.' :•     -\"".""™  "»■  '■^"••'■"'™  "l-"- ...  ,i,.ae  then,  npon  : 

nke  „l    ,.e  w,ti,  the,,,  yon,,,  „;„.,  .hee  ,.a«t,.tl,  he,-  y„nn,  ones  1  .f„,,e 

'"V"  "  """-f '■•  "'"'  ""•"  '"'"^  ""■'"  " -"■'-  -"1  »M>iu„«,.,l,  „, 

;■""    ""»„  w.,„  then, ;  a„.l  when  shee  will  ,.„ven,e  herself  „;,n,  , 
l-oates,  o,.  „,ake  ,-es,sta„..e  against  tl,en,,  then  si,e  ,,,sts  he,-  von,,.-  „,„., 
t.'o,n  he,,  aga.ne,  and  witl,  all  he,.  fo,.,.e  goeth  ro„a,.,l  the  hoa't  ,  „  Im.,.,.|,v 

"  :;  '  '"■'■  "■'■'"  ;,'";■  '''■■  ■^"■™"  '"■  »"■■"■  I 'ei.  thinking  to  o,e>.,l„.o„. 

.1.    ."t  l,y  nieans  ol   ,l,e  g,va,  e,-ies  that  tl,e  „,..„  ,„a,le.  she  was  ah^a 

;';:'";""" "■"•^■^"^■^""■■■-""""kl-.'.vo„„g„nesagai„ei„he,.a,.,nes' 

I  Ley  have  two  teeth  stiekia.  o,„  ,„.  „,,,  „„„„„es,„„  eael,  si.le  one' 

;;':;;,  :;."*■;  "y  ";"'• '";  ■■' .-•  -"'  ■■"-  -tee„,ea  to  i..  as  good  as  a„; 

none  or  t'lcpliaiits'  teetli." 

The  ,„„.s„i,  and  ,.a|,„„.e  of  ,he  „al,.„s  is  gene.ally le.takea  with 

pea,,  and  sealsk,,.  line,  and  ve,.y  ,,„„,,  ,.ese„,l,les  the  killing  of  a 

"      le  .,s  now  ,„.aet,,.e.l  ,,y „,,ali„g  ships.     Ir st  he  ,.e„,e,al,e,.ed 

tw...l,.,,s,s  always  ,o„n,l  ,„.a,.  ,1, „  „-a,e,.,  sin.ply  ,.,.aw,ing 

'""  ;   '  ■"^'-  "f  "■"■  '"■  " .'^"  '"■  "lie  sh.„.e.i,.e.  and  neve,-  going  ru,.,l,e,. 

"'";,'      '™":  "'•■'"  '-  '" -•■"T  -'  - V  ■■'  .•ondo,.tal,le  si,o,  ,o  H 

■■  -  .:^  ds  ,.ernge  in  ,.ase  oi'  dange,..     He  i.  a  ve,.y  el y  ani i 

•  """    "■"  '"'•'"''■   ""■■■'•  '^  ■""   '"   •■'"    l.-l-tio„a,e  is 

i  I      :,,        Vr    !"■'"■'>■  "'"■"•-    "-enongi,    „,e   lee  e.lge,  so  ,l,a,  „„e 

'-'""'' "  '"'-••  '■^"•"^'-  "ill  tl„.ow  hi,,,  in,,,  ,|,e  ,vate,. 

he  nar.ve  l,„n,e,.   „ ,,„,  ,h,.e,.ied  ,l,e  la.ge  , st  on  ,l,e  i,.e, 

h'M  .,,,„ls  slowly  and  noiselessly  ,owa,d  l,i,n,  keeping  o„t  of  sight  as 


I  sill 


m 


In 


m 


f: 


I  s 


m 


NIMROD    JX    THE    XORTH. 


nmcli  MS  i)<)ssil)](>.  ill  wliich  h.'  is  nivnlly  jiid.'d  )>>  ili.'  loii-h  liinmiiocks 
(•r  i(v,  :iii.l  tlh'  I'acI  llint  his  lazy,  liihlxTly  pn-y  is  .nviici'ally  ahoiil  half 
asUvp.  csiKM-ially  if  ii  1..- a  liii.'  siiiiny  day.  WJicii  su(Iici..iiily  dose, 
which  (h-].("nds  upon  the  iicani.'ss  of  ihc  walrus  lo  Ids  ivfunv  ],la<v— 
the  (.p..ii  water— with  ;i  few  ]i,<-htnint?-lik.'  h-aps  the  agile  huiiler  is 
alongside,  Avitli  the  point,  of  the  walrus  spear  (h-eply  bedded  in  his 
victim's  tough  side,  n-ady  to  pay  out  the  thirty-loot  line  he  has  Avoimd 


WALiM's  xi:ak  Tin:  i:n(;i;  oi^^  ax  iok  t'loe. 

ai'onnd  his  nnn  or  neck,  ns  tlie  sea-horse^  slides  into  the  ojien  watt>r  in 
his  attenqtt  to  escape.  Now  conuvs  Die  tug  of  war!  It  iv(]uires  the 
skillful  and  united  stivngth  of  two  active  hunters  to  manage  the  lin«>, 
or  the  walrus  will  ])ull  it  away  from  them,  or  cut  it  oil"  clean  over  the 
shari)  edgv  of  ^<»'ii«'  l»i'ojectiug  ice  hummock,  before  they  have  worried 
him  out  siiflicieiitly  to  kill  him  with  a  lance.     They  ])ull  in  the  line 


'-# 


w 


14. 


i 


SI'JALS    AND    SEA-IfORSES  „ 

rapidly  as  it  slaokons  or  pay  it  mi  with  a  st.a.lily  inrreasiiu^  resist 
nnn-  as  ,t  l.econu.s  taut,  until  th.  h.-ast  is  so  exluuisieU  that  luM„av  be 
imilHd  ulono-sul.  and  clispat.lu.d  with  u  well-directed  thrust  of  ouV  of 
then-  sharp  lances.     The  use  cf  lire-arms,  wherever  the  E.kin.o  have 
'-•'"  ;''•'<'  to  obtain  them,  has  nu.eh  simplified  the  second  act  of  this 
tra,^edy,  as  the  hunter  then  has  but  little  trouble  in  disimtchin-.-  lijs 
game,  nnn.edlately  after  he  has  fastened  to  hin.  with  the  harpoon  and 
me  and  wlule  he  is  yet  in  his  most  desperate  struggles  to  escape. 
AV  here  walrus  are  not  numerous,  and  consecpumtly  make  such  short 
excursions  that  alnu,st  the  merest  moven.ent  is  suflici.mt  to  throw  them 
into  the  water,  the  shot  frou.  a,  «,„,  cainiot  be  wholly  relied  upon  •  for 
unless  n.stuutly  fatal,  which  recp.ires  better  aiu.  than  ^-an  usually  be 
taken  under  such  cold,  uncomfortable  circumstances,  the  huge  monster 
rol  s  Huo  the  welter  and  sinks  to  the  botto.n,  ^vhere  he  dies  and  remains 
nnt,     he  gases    rom  putrefaction  bring  his  carcass  to  the  surface  again 
W  herever  the    ual.uses  c-ougre^ate  in  in.mense   herds,  as  in  the 
-A.yln-   seas,  msi.le  of  JVring  Strait,  or  as   they   used  to  be   in   the 
N..t.be,gen  seas  before  the  whalers  thinne<l  then,  out.  they  can  be  shot 
■ke  s,>  u,any  tame  sheep  on  the  great  ic-e-cakes  upon  whidr  they  crawl 
o..ask  n.  ,hes,„,;  for  the  first  to  creep  out  upon  the  ice  are  cLvded 
I'a.'k  a,  <.ons,derable  distance  by  the  newcomers,  and  so  on,  until  they 
<••••■  —I;,  l-^g  way  off  from  the  water's  .a^..,  and  there  fall  victin^ 
;|     '"'-pMnlleso,  u.an.     The  above  explam.tion  of  a  hunt  supposes 
tiat  the  hunter  has  approached  over  the  ice  on  foo,.  which  is  the  case 

1     s..eu..      Uheuheisonauis^ 
asmall  island.  he,s  appr<,ached  by  several  J.ersonsin/Iv.y./:-.,  (smallskin 
<•«  ana  Histead  of  ].,Ming  on   to  the  lim^ 

-•-t^ht  :.ml  inflated  sealskin,  about  the  size  of  a  half'barrel,  to  its  .^id 
|.n.  throw  It  over  as  so.m  as  the  harpoon  is  fast.  At  first,  the  strength 
o       i.-warus,s  sufficient  to  drag  the  float  under  the  water  f<,r  one  or 

CiZ'^       ;''^'''■"■"'^"^''•'•^■'••"^''•"'^^^''- 
a  quauei  of  an  hour  he  is  ,owiug  it  alon,^  ,l.e  surface  of  the  water,  and 

u'  active  hunter  seizes  ,he  <.pportunity  to  pi.-rc-e  him  with  a  lance  or 

shoot  hnn  through  the  hea.l  or  neck.     A  early  all  those  killed  in  , 


'        !  It 


PI 


J.     ,  A 


fllll 


'■f^ 


44 


NimiOD    IX    THE    NORTH. 


I 


suiimKn'  iiro  obtaiiitMl  in  tliis  \v;iy.  J)iiriiig-  July  and  Auu'iist.  1880, 
while  on  I)('i)()t  Island,  many  walruses  were  thus  caijtured.  At  the 
hiu'liest  point  of  the  island,  a  convenient  monument  oi'  stones  was 
built,  and  over  tliis  my  army  signal  telescoi)e  was  jjlaced.  Hardly  live 
nunutes  would  elapse  before  some  one,  the  small  boys  especially,  would 
be  looking  through  it,  scanning  the  dril'ting  ice-pack  Tor  li\-e  oi-  six- 
miles  on  eitli.M-  side.  .Vs  soon  as  a  walrus  was  discovered  the  alaiin 
would  be  given  through  the  village,  niid  seveial  natives  woidd  i>ui  oil' 
in  their /iV///«/r.v;  and  whenever  the  chase  was  nearby,  T  tookmy  iiosiiion 
at  the  telescope  and  viewed  its  exciting  incidents. 

CJreat  numbers  ol'  Arctic  walruses,  says  an  old  authoi'ity.  visit  the 
Mau'dalene  Islands,  in  thedull'oF  St.  Lawi'ence.  everv  s])i'inii:.  Iniiiie- 
diately  on  their  arrival,  they  crawl  ui)  the  slo[)ing  rocks  of  the  coast  in 
great  numbers,  and  when  the  weather  is  fair,  they  I'recpiently  remain 
for  many  days  ;  but  on  the  lirst  ajipearance  of  rain,  they  retreat  to  I  he 
water  v  .i  givat  precipitation.  In  the  course  of  a  few  weeks  ihey 
assemble  in  gi'eat  nuiiil)ers.  Foi'uierly,  when  undisturbed  by  the  Ameri- 
cans, their  herds  have  been  known  to  amount  to  seven  or  eight  1  housand. 
These  animals  are  killed  by  the  inhal)itants  for  the  sake  of  their  skin 
and  fat.  At  a  proi)i'r  time  the  hunters,  taking  advantage  of  a  sea-w  ind 
to  prevent  the  animals  from  smelling  them,  eiideavoi'  in  the  uighl,  with 
th(^  assistance  of  their  dogs,  to  sejiarate  the  furthest  advanced  from 
those  nearest  the  water,  driving  them  in  dilfereiit  ways.  'Phis  is  con- 
sidered a  dang(M'ous  method,  as  it  is  imi)ossible  to  drive  them  in  any 
particular  dire<'tion,  and  stmietimes  dillicult  to  avoid  being  attacked  by 
them.  In  the  darkness  of  the  night,  however,  many  of  them  lose  their 
kiu)wledge  of  the  direction  in  w  hich  they  lie  with  respect  to  the  water, 
so  that  they  stray  about  and  are  killed  by  the  men  at  their  leisurt% 
those  nearest  tln'  shore  lieing  their  lii'st  victims.  In  this  manner,  tifleen 
or  six'een  hundred  lia\e  sometimes  been  killed  at  one  time.  They  ai'e 
then  skinned,  and  the  coat  of  fat  that  surrounds  them  is  taken  olf  and 
ilissolved  in  oil.  The  slsiu  is  cut  intf>  slices,  two  or  three  inches  wide, 
and  ex[)or1ed  to  the'  L'luted  States  lor  carriage-traces  and  to  England 
I'or  glue. 

In  the  year  17(!('»,  some  of  the  crew  of  a  sloop  which  sailed  to  the 


3t 
•I 


w^ 


°^''.l 
*.;"-<• 


/  /!'■•-  ,'■    I 


■' '    iJJF     (,"f"''''''v,/'     /  ■'/,''!•''  '        '■    ' 


AVALIirs   SEEKIXCr   JIKVENGE 


'  i 


IHffvl 


4t5 


NI}m()l)     IX    THE    XORTH. 


H 


i: 


I 


northward  to  tradt'  with  ihf  Ivskinu 


).  were  at)aclv"(|  in  their  boat  by 


a 


^•reat  miiuht'r  of  these  aiiitiials;  and  not wilhstandiiii;-  tiieir  ntinost. 
enth'avors  to  keep  them  oil",  a  sinali  one,  more  (hiiiiii;-  tlian  I  lie  lesl.  yot 
ino\(-r  tile  stern,  and.  after  sittinu-  and  lookini;'  at  the  men  i'or  s(»me 
time,  at-ain  pinnyed  into  tlie  wat«"r  to  Ids  cnmpanions.  At  that  instant, 
anotlier  of  enormous  size  was  ^ettini;-  in  over  liie  bow 


and  everv  ot iier 


men 


MS  i)ro\iii,ii-  iiiell'ectnal  to  prevent   tlie  approacii  of  siicii  an  unwel- 


come visitoi-.  tile  bow-man  took  up  a  u'lin  loaded  with  ix 


the  mu//.le  into  the  animal's  mouth  and  shot    him  dead,      lie  i 


oose-shot.  put 


inniedi- 


atelv 


sa 


ids 


am 


would  probably 


I  was  followed  by  all  his  comjjanittns.  The  [)eo[)le  then 
made  the  best  of  th,>ir  way  to  the  ship,  and  just  ari'ived  before  the 
creatures  were  ready  to  make  their  sectmd  attack,  which 
have  been  much  more  disastrous  than  the  lirst. 

The  hi<h'  of  the  waliiis  is  fiom  an  im-h  to  an  inch  and  a  half  thick, 
and  covered  sparsely  with  short  bristles.  The  yonn<j;- walruses  are  cpnte 
dark  in  color,  but  .generally  turn  H.-ihter  with  ap^  until  the  oldest  are 
of  a  li.-iht.  ^n'izzly  hue.  The  thick  hide  used  to  be  taken  by  the  walrus 
slayers  to  make  a  heavy,  i)orous  leatlier.  but  I  think  its  nsefnlness  has 
])assed.  By  cookinii'  it  for  a  day  or  two  in  their  ])erpetnally  siinnierint;' 
kettles,  it  becomes  somewhat  friable,  and  is  so  eaten  by  tlie  natives, 
those  of  the  northern  coast  of  western  (Ireenhnid  beint;-  v<'ry  fond  of  it. 
I  did  not  lind  such  a  desire  for  it  anionu"  the  Tnnuits  of  Hudson's  Hay. 
When  eaten  raw  or  uncooked  it  is  simply  equivalent  to  rubber  beltini,^ 
of  the  same  thickness,  and  it  must  be  cut  in  small  enon<,di  ])ieces  to  be 
swallowed  at  onc(\  as  the  teeth  will  make  no  more  impression  on  it  than 
(m  the  substance  named.  Added  to  this,  the  stout,  bristly  hairs  make 
one  ima.irine  he  is  ruttin.u-  n])  and  eating-  a  wire  hair-brush.  As  the 
author  had  to  live  on  it  for  live  days,  liis  observations  were  of  a  most 
practical  character,  it  is  nevei-  eaten  even  by  the  natives  then's^-hes 
in  this  manner,  until  they  are  driven  to  it.  and  only  after  the  ra-  .il 

is  consumed  with  which  they  could  have  cooked  it.  it  is  not  a  useless 
material,  however,  by  any  manner  of  means.  Th(>ir  doi^s,  to  whom  they 
owe  more  than  any  other  race  of  peoi)le  owe  to  their  domestic  animals, 
must  be  ])rovided  foi\  and  In  the  walrus  hide  the  native  sledgman  linds 
the  most  portable  dog-food  known  in  the  Arctic  regions. 


SEALS    AND    SEA-HORSES.  ^-^ 

T1...S.  fnithful  .-.ninu.l.sMr.not  IVd  ortener  tlinn  everv other  .lay  .v.n 
wlMM.  loo<l  .saf  ,f,s  nuuxinnn,.  abundance.    And  when  tr;tve,in^..,n  ,  U.. 
journey,  when  space  and  weight  upon  the  sledge  have  to  I,e  eeonon.ixed 
hey  are  not  led  oftener  than  every  third  or  fourth  day,  if  nahns  hid^ 
(o.-  /•..%  n.s    hey  eall  d )  i.  o-iv...     Thus  provide,!,  the  Kskin.o  ,h,.  will 
stand  a^Koo<l  journey,  lor  a,  month  or  two,  without  sullVrin^^any  visible 
OSS  ol  llesh  or  strength.     |,e  n,,v  piek  up  a  little  refuse  here  and  there 
!'"'f  "  "'  '  'X'  "  "H<-.oseopieal  percentage  of  h,s  entire  diet.     The /»,; 
IS  .enH.al  y  ..ek.d  ah,n.  in  la.^e  pi,.-,.,  about  tw<.  by  three  feet,  and 
—  •;     ">    I-  .  oos  rs  eut  up  .nto  strips  about  one  or  tw<,  in.-hes  wide 
tins  wdl  make  then,  scpntre,  as  this  is  the  thi<-kne.ss.,  an.l  fron.  a  foot 
to  stxteen  .uehes  lou^.     These  the  do,s  swallow,  and  the  natives  told 
...    hat  tt  takes  the.n  t  wo  ,lays  to  digest,  whic-li  surprised  n.e  in  regard 
'";  -  "-;">;=-<l ;=.l.i<li«y of  the  digestive  ot^ans  of  these  .anines  o^the 
-1<  .  I-  I  thought  tu.thing  less  than  a  .pu.rt.-null  or  aqua-:,  tis  bath 
could  dissolve  them  in  such  short  time. 

Not  long  ago,  r  fouml  floating  around  in  tlie  newspapers  a  small 
uucn.d,ted  article,  stating  that  a  certain  Captain  Be  Abortiz,  of  ,1.; 
SpM.nsh  bark   Idulia.  had  a  tame  walrus  whi<.h  he  capture<|  thirteen 
y...rs  ago  when  it  was  a  pup.     NVhen  caught,   i,   weighed   nineteen 
l.om.ds.  but  It  now  turns  the  scale  at  4111  poumls,  has  two  enornuu.s 
tusks,  measures  six  feet  three  inches  at  the  girth,  and  is  eight  feet  four 
nu'hes  long.     In  brigld  weatlier  it  sleeps  in  the  sun  on  (h-ck.     Dnrin-^ 
.'■=tvy  blows  ,r  resorts  to  its  kennel,  but  when  the  weather  is  <.alm  it 
leaps  overboard  and  sports  about  the  ship  for  hours,   catclnn^  and 
enting  hsh      U  hen  tired  of  swimming,  it  is  hauled  on  board  a.ain  in  a 
great  iron  basket.    On  one  occasion,  olf  the  Cape  of  Goo.l  Hop;  a  ^avat 
.^utr.  attacked  it,  laying  hold  of  one  of  its  paws  and  biting  off  t:o  i.f 
.ts  toes  :  but  the  walrus  .h.ve.  and  <.oming  up  under  the  shark,  killed 
=>"<l  '|»;voured  him  with  cries  of  <lHight.     So  at  least  the  story  ran 

U  hen  in  a  boat  far  from  laml,  it  is  <langerous  to  wound  one  of  ihese 
^nmna  s,  ns  instances  are  not  wanting  of  their  having-  retaliated  effect- 
iK.llv  by  tearing  the  boats  to  pieces  with  their  huge  swinging  tusks 
Many  ol  tlie  Iwilliks  atid  kittdred  tribes  wear  moundng  for  departed 
ones,   upset  and  drowned  by  angry  wounded  walruses.'    The  motlier 


I 


48 


NIMROD    IX    THE    NORTH. 


will  fiulit  strenuously  in  (lefeiisr  of  her  youn<r.  and  the  latter  rling8 
tenaciously  to  its  luateniMl  defendt'r,  so  that  success  in  obtainini;  one  is 
always  re\vai...'(l  with  the  i)ossession  of  the  other.  Duiiuu;  verv  cold 
weathei-,  the  walrus  oidy  i-eniains  on  the  ice  a  short  while  at  any  time, 
before  vetirini,^  to  the  water  to  warm  its  tough  hide.  And  if  a  young 
one  is  captui'ed  alive,  it  is  almost  impossil  '  to  keep  it  so  owing  to  the 
cold  nights.  The  dangei's  in  walrus  hunting  are  much  more  numerous 
than  oue  would  imagine  from  such  a  clumsy  animal,  although  the  most 
conspicuous  ones  are  indirect,  sudias  being  drowned  after  the  1i<ii/aJc  is 
upset.  Cor  the  P^skimo  in  liis  world  of  ice  is  a  stranger  to  the  art  of 
swinuning.    Another  thuiger  is  being  carried  out  to  sea  on  the  ice  while 


WALKU8   STICKIXG  THEIR  HEADS   TIIROrGII  THIN  ICE. 


an  unfavorable  wind  is  blowing  off  shore,  or  a  current  is  setting  out. 
I  know  two  "o'ly  looking  wounds  made  by  direct  contact  with  their 
tusks,  and  one  case  of  death  re])orted  by  a  native  Avhich  I  believe. 

About  a  month  before  we  started  from  Hudson's  liay  on  oui'  sledge 
journey,  Tk(pieesik,  a  first  rate  Avalrus  hunter  of  jnine,  attenipte(l  to 
make  up  my  deficit  in  oil  with  which  the  ])arty  was  to  start,  and  of 
course  Avas  untiring  in  his  efforts  to  do  so.  without  regard  to  weather. 
One  (hiy.  while  he  was  on  the  outer  edge  of  the  fioe  with  another  Innuit 
hunter  and  his  brother,  a  mere  boy,  with  a  strong  off-shore  wind,  the 


n  $  ■' 


'"^hWr.S    AXD    ShW-HOItShS.  ^ 

"■■■■■  -  -- *■ '!.« w„.i  ..u,.i„«  >:;";'■  r:,;..!;;"™;"  ""^•™- 

"'■■;  '■ ■  "■"^"-  •' -  .:.;■  -4™l  a:    ;:  ^z,:':''" 

f'iin'u.l  lai-  out  to  sea  hv  a  ston,.      Tr  ..    i         ,  ^>t^ltoni«.,  Avas 

"■■ " '-'  '"^  ™rn„,.„,  „,i:    •,„';■:„"'  ;:;rr' "'- f ''''™.  ""■" 

j-t  .s,„„li  of  8.m,l,.„,i,t„„  Ma,„l   .,, ,     '  >  '"'  '''""' 

"  vn,,l  n„  doKs  ,„.  sl.„|„„s,  |„„  „.,,„  „„.„,,„,|,.,,  •      "";     -f- ;""'  "  I'" 
"-'-"  ""'»  tl...  next  .„,„„„.„..  „,,e„  ,hev  too  '  „   [    to7      ','"  T"" 

liavn,.,^  Ion-  sinre  hHieved  ]u„,  a,.,,]  ^  ^       '         ^"•'  ^'^''"^^« 

i-nt!;::.;;::r^.::::;;-«^  -^?;^^^^  aim^v.nt.ai>its.  ti..  t,. 

The  oo,.;oo,,  o".      ;t^  '^'''"  -^-^'l--'>'y  -..u-din.  to  th.  kind. 

a  third  o^-  ha  f    ;  t tf^f      "^  """"""  '^"""'  ''"^^  ^^'^'^^'^  l^-'-'^Wv 
tiiat  of  an  average  M.ilrus,  measuring  often  t.n  feet  in 


I: 


'''   s 


s  d   C 


liii 


so 


NIMROD    IX    THE    NORTH. 


i 


lengtli.  Tlieir  rapture  dons  not  differ  much  froui  tliat  of  n  walrus, 
although  i)r<)l)al)ly  a  greater  proportion  of  them  are  captured  ])y  the 
Jan/ak  and  lioat  metliod  (already  described)  than  in  any  other  Avay. 
Seals  are  not  i)lentiful  in  any  part  of  the  Arctic  seas,  that  is,  they  never 
congi'egate  in  herds  or  shoals,  as  is  the  wont  of  other  species,  but  are 
always  seen  singly  or  in  pairs.  On  the  western  coast  of  the  Adelaide 
Peninsula,  jutting  out  into  the  Arctic  sea,  is  the  country  of  the  Ook- 
jook-liks,  or  great  seal-eaters,  and  tliese  seals  are  reported  to  be  very 
common.  The  hide  of  this 
seal  is  of  the  utmost  im- 
portance in  the  Innuit 
economy,  its  skin  beinu- 
the  only  kind  considered 
lit  for  making  the  hunting 
lines  already  described,  as 
used  by  /I'rn/a/i  men  and 
others  in  hari)0(ming  seals 
and  walrus  ;  for  it  may  be 
truly  said  thai  leir  lives 
dei)end  on  this  line,  which 
is  wound  around  the  ni^ck, 
running  out  easily,  rap- 
idly and  without  knots 
or    entanglements,    when 

l)ulled  by  the  harpooned  animal.  By  some  natives  it  is  called  the 
''thong-seal."  Its  thick  skin  is  always  used  to  make  the  soles  of  the 
sealskin  boots  and  slip])eis,  and  1)efore  it  is  sewed  on  it  is  rendered 
absolutely  iinijervious  10  wafei-  by  beiny'  chewed  for  two  oi-  tliive  days 
by  some  of  the  old  women  ol  the  tribe.  It  th<^n  looks  like  finely 
grained  leather.  "  \'ery  stiange  ai'c  these  seal."  says  Di'.  Kan<',  in 
recording  his  lirst  killing  of  on<>  in  the  ])oli;!'  seas.  "  .\  counteiiance 
between  the  dog  and  the  wild  Afi'lcan  ape,  an  expression  so  like  that 
of  humanity  that  it  makes  gun-murderers  hesitate.  Ha\e  natui'alists 
ever  noticed  the  expression  of  this  aniinars  ])hi/,  i '"  he  asks,  as  he  tells 
of  the  dying  look  given  him  by  his  iirst  vict'iu.     "Curiosity,  content- 


UOK-.IOOK   SEALS. 


SEALS    AND    SL'A-HOliSES. 


"."  .^  -  ...e^.e  .jii.:f :::::-: -^.~^^^^^ 


if  J 


^v. 


•*V4 


"J'i^AUDEU-.VuSE"    OU  CltE8TED  «EAL. 


tlie  sue  of  the  „„k-j„„k,  o,-  .„„„„  seven  .„•  ei«l,t  feet  in 


iiii 


■ffi 


53 


NIMEOD    IN    THE    NORTH. 


At  a  distance  the  inflation  looks  as  if  it  were  on  liis  nose,  but  it  is 
really  on  bis  forehead.  His  sealship  fell  a  victim  to  the  rifles  of  a 
neighi)oring  whaler,  waiting,  as  we  were,  for  the  ice-pack  to  open.  The 
bhuhler-nose  is  the  most  i)iignacious  of  all  the  seals  (a  really  harmless 
species  of  animal ),  and  when  irritated  by  wounds  or  close  i)ursuit,  it 
will  turn  ferociously  on  its  pursuer,  splashing  him  with  water  and 
snapjiing  at  him  spitefully.  By  some  the  hunting  of  the  bladder-nose 
in  a  liuynlc  is  considered  dangerous  sport. 

The  "saddle-back"  seal  is  the  kind  pursued  by  the  sealing  ships  in 


saudm;-I!.v<ks  ox  in; 


K  I 


l^ 


Iff 


ihe  Sjiitzbergen  and  Xewfoundland  seas.  Going  in  immense  shoals, 
tlit'y  are  caught  in  great  (puintities  by  simply  sending  a  ]iai'ty  on  the 
ice  and  knocking  them  over  llie  head  with  <'lul)s.  Their  skius  ar<'  used 
princii)ally  in  the  maKing  of  kid  doves,  about  two-thirds  of  which  are 
derived  froju  this  source,  so  T  understand,  tlitM)ther  third  being  supplied 
by  the  monkey  skins  of  Brazil. 


vM 


SEALS    AXD    SEA-HORSES.  53 

A  writer  in  Ilarper\s  Weekly  says  tliat,  altliou^di  the  male  seals  will 
fight  nmufully  in  defense  of  the  females,  when  fairlv  cornered    the 
dis<-harge  of  ih-e-anns,  the  ])arking  of  a  dog,  the  tainting  of  the  water 
around  tlien.  with  tlie  blood  of  one  of  tlieir  nnml,er,  or  even  the  sn.ell 
ol    lighted  tobacco,  is  sometimes  sufficient  to  drive  them  from  their 
rookeries.     And  driving  them  away  permanently  means  their  extermi- 
nation ;  for  If  they  cannot  <-ome  back  to  the  waters  where  thev  were 
born,  tliey  cease  to  iiicrease.     An  illustration  of  this  truth  is  foimd  in 
Mie  story  of  sealing  on  K<>i-qnelen  Land,  where  seals  were  newly  dis- 
covered some  years  ago.     So  abnndant  were  tlu>y  at  tirst,  that  as  many 
as  1  7(KU.OO  were  killed  in  a  single  year  by  the  creus  of  the  vessel 
Avhicli  liocked  thither  from  all  quarters.     But  in  the  space  of  three 
years  they  were  practically  exterminated,  there  not  being  enon-h  left 
to  make  their  pursuit  remunerative.     On  the  coast  of  Newfoundland, 
the  decline  of  the  seal  fishery,  whi<-h  at  ,me  time  ranked  in  importance 
almost  with  that  of  the  herring  and  cod,  has  been  a  great  misfortune, 
formerly,  however  pitiable  an,l  destitute  the  po(,rer Classes  mi-dit  be 
during  the  winter,  after  St.  Valentine's  day  their  fortune  would  take  a 
sudden  turn.     The  busy  sound  of  axes  and  hammers  would  reverberate 
from  the  hillsides  around  the  harbor,  and  m.t  a  rotten  old  schooner 
brig  or  lugger  which  could  float,  or  floating  be  insured,  but  was  trimmed 
i.p  an,    provisional  to  take  part  in  the  fishing.     From  that  day  nntil 
the  end  ot  tiie  month,  the  excitement  of  tlie  men  who  were  to  sail  on  tlie 
momentous  expedition  constantly  in.-reased,  and  the  grog-shops  pros- 
pered  in  proportion  to  their  enthusiasm.     For  many  years  this  great 
hshing,  or  hunting  exj.edition  on  tlie  ocean  fields  of  ice,  as  it  mi-ht 
more  properly  be  called,   brought  hundreds  of  thousands  of  dollars 
yearly  into  the  exchequer  of  the  community.      Lucky  was  tlie  man 
esteemed  who  had  se.-ured  his  berth  in  a  ship  to  be  sailed  by  some  smart 
and  experienced  captain.     For  from  three  weeks  to  a  month  the  first 
remark  ,m  awaking,   the   last   before  sleeping-the  only  observation 
lm/.ar.le.l  ,„  the  streets-was  the  state  of  the  wind  and  weather  and  its 
possible  effect  on  the  expediti<.n.     All  l,a<l  a  stake  in  it :  the  n.e.rhant, 
in  h.s  ship  stores  and  winte,-  ...vlits  t<.  the  lisiiermen  ;  the  iishermen  to 
pay  these  debts  in  or,ler-and  in  order  solely-to  obtain  more  credit  for 


■  !, 


L'Jiel 


64 


NIMEOD    IX    THE    NORTH. 


U; 


1 

> 

^ 

p' 

^  i 

the  summer  cod-fishery.    The  return  of  the  fleet  was  an  event  of  tremen- 
dous importance. 

In  April  of  the  year  1880,  there  was  a  visitation  of  seals  such  as 
would  have  been  deemed  extraordinary  even  in  the  palmy  davs  of  tb.^ 
fishery.     For  many  years  the  hardy  fishers  of  the  southern  coasts  have 
hardly  hoped  for  a  paying  harvest,  even  after  fitting-  (,„t  their  rough 
boats  and  proceeding  to  the  ice-fields  of  the  ]\-ortli.     On  this  occasion 
the  seals  came  floating  down  on  great  sheets  of  ice,  within  easy  reach 
of  the  hunters,  and  but  for  the  loss  of  life  that  took  place,  it  might 
have  been  regarded  as  a  special  providence  to  all  concerned.     It  was 
during  the  first  days  of  the  niontli  of  April  that  the  news  began  to 
spread  tliat  the  seals  were  conung,  and  witliiu  a  short  time  the  hunters 
who  had  remained  behind  when  tlie  regular  fleet  left  for  the  north, 
began  to  congratulate  themselves  on  having  done  so.     They  were  ready 
for  the  unanticipated  harvest ;  and  as  the  ice  gathered  around,  squads 
of  them  might  have  be.Mi  s.-en  iiurrying  from  the  barber  of  St.  .lohns 
out  through  the  Narrows  into  the  broad  Atlantic.     Far  away  to  the 
north,  the  south  and  the  east,  extended  the  interminable  ice-sheets,  with 
here  and  there  a  watery  breakage.    From  Signal  Hill,  which  rises  to  600 
feet  above  the  sea-level,  an  almost  unbroken  view  might  be  obtained 
extending  nearly  forty  miles  seaward.    The  rich  spoils  presented  to  the 
hunters  excited  them  to  recklessness.     The  w(mien,  too,  who  seem  iu 
this  northern  latitude  to  be  in  complete  sympathy  with  the  toils  of  their 
husbands  and  brothers,  were  affected  by  tlie  general  cra/e.     It  was  not 
uncommon  even  for  wind- and  sun-brov.ned  damsels,  dauuhtei-s  of  the 
hardy  fishermen,  to  gird  on  the  seal-hunter's  armor  and  enter  tlie  lists 
with  their  brothers  in  comi)etiti(m  for  the  ].ri/,.s  of  the  „il  fields.     The 
distanc'  traversed  away  from  ihe  land  over  tli.    ice-sheets  vai'ied  from 
one  to  eight  miles,  according  to  the  position  of  the  senl-patches  or  the 
good   n.rtnne  of  the  hnnfer.     ,)„,.  o,,,^.  of  men.  more  foitinu.te  limn 
another,   would  come  upon  a  large  .-olony  of  the  .loon.e.l  creatures 
within  II   mile  or  two  of  tl„.  shore,  from  which.  witli..ut  the  aid  of  a 
telescope,  all  their  operations  were  visibl.«.     Oth.Ts.  h-ss  Inckv,  would 
have  to  wander  over  rough  ami  broken  ice  for  twi.v  or  thri<-,>  the  dis- 
tance before  reaching  the  objects  of  their  search.     Men  came  and  w.^nt, 


SEALS    AND    SEA-HORSES.  55 

and  no  reoonl  of  disaster  reac-lied  the  shore.     Thousands  of  doUars 
vort  X  of  seals  were  captured  daily.    For  three  or  four  days  the  liunters 
had  been  at  work,  venturing-  further  and  further  upon  tlie  iee,  wlien 
.su<ldenly  the  wind  fell.     The  great  masses,  hitherto  held  in  place  by  a 
.strong  north-easter,  began  to  yield,  and  the  "  Inmtmg  grounds  "  to  give 
way  beneatli  the  feet  of  the  unhappy  lishermen.     80  sudden  was  the 
change  that  it  seemed  almost  instantaneous.     At  one  moment  the  men 
seemed  quietly  at  work  ;  at  the  next,  the  panic  had  spread  in  every 
direction.     The  ice  had  moved  from  the  shore,  and  except  at  a  verv  fe; 
points  o   contact,  the  water  began  to  How  between  it  and  the  mainland 
Hundreds  of  men  saw  before  them  the  prospect  of  being  carried  out  to 
sea  upon  the  melting  mass.     Those  who  were  the  most  cool-headed  ran 
lor  the  ice-bridges  yet  remaining,  and  succeeded  in  reaching  the  shore 
Others  plunged  into  the  water,  and  swimnnng  across  were  hauled  upon 
the  crags  by  comrades  waiting  to  receive  them.     Within  the  harbor 
smal    ]K,ats  also  were  sent  to  the  rescue.     It  was  at  first  reported  thai 
two  hundred  and  li f ty  men  were  afloat  on  the  ice,  and  the  consternn- 
lon  on  shore  was  terrible.     Finally,  however,  it  became  apparent  that 
ti  ^  number  of  missing  had  been  greatly  exaggerated.     Before  night  fell 
the  joylul  tidings  reached  8t.  Johns  that  a  number  of  the  nien  ha.l 
M-nined  the  shore  safely  at  some  little  village,  where  the  ice,  in  career 
mg  o..t  of  St.  Johns  l^ay,  had  for  a  brief  time  been  jammed  against  the 
rocks.     Later  news  was  received  that  a  sealing  steamer  had  picked  up 
some  forty  or  iifty  others,  and  a  screw  steam-tug,  built  espe^-iallv  tl. 
I>nttle  with  the  h-e.  was  s.mt  (,ut  by  the  government  and  returned  bear- 
.ng  Its  quota  of  the  lost.     That  so  u.any  escaped  was  really  astonishin.- 
iH'.-e  are  migratory  seal  visiting  scm.e  parts  of  the  Arctic,  but  not 
with  sufficient  certainty  to  depend  ou  tlw-n,  for  food  and  so  forth  at  all 
periods  and  all  districts.     The  west  const  of  Greenland  is  the  especially 
fnvored  oue.    The  Kassigiah  (fresh-water,  or  spotted  seals)  are  not  very 
"umerous.  and  nre  generally  found  at  tl,e  mouths  of  rivers,  and  secured 
>>v  shooting  them  with  a  rifle.     They  are  beautifully  spotted,  the  spots 
<  "••r.'i.sn.g  ,n  size  and  intensity  from  the  back  around  to  the  flarks 
'•>v  are  ,n  prime  condition  in  Hudson's  Bay  about  Auunst.     Those  of 
Hh.Isou  s  Straits  s.-n,  to  be  the  tinest  in  the  Arctic.    The  Kassioi,],  skin 
IS  olten  seen  in  <-iviliz.,ion  made  into  shopping-baus,  valises,  etc 


i    ill 


niJ 


1'  3 


1  ^ 

111 


\l      \    i 


'fe 


h   I, 


I 


SEALS    AND    SEA-HOIiSES. 


ins,  fo,.  ,.„v...ins  tl  e      ",;;":  'T"  "","  '''""*'"'  *"•  »""'"'-  ^■><"1'- 
<lrift.s„t  snow,  f|,„  ,„„„„„„  ,,,        '\'"    ^'^  "'"■'«■»*  •■»'!  <-ove,v<l  witi, 

'.<.ieinsMa,,e;n„n«;;:;:rn;i;r„f;::;;7«'~;'^'>' «-  <.  ^,, . 

snow,  wl,ose  njiex  is  n,t  tl,mn.,|,  ,  '"•**''  "■  ''°""'  "'  "'" 

qunne.. of  a  ao'la...     TmI  L"! ,:/:""7  :''»•"  the  .,i.e  of  . 

it  b,vatl,e,  when  it  vi.its  these  ,,l.„.e'  ''    """  """"«''  ""•' 

at.  w  ;;;r:::;:;:,  t  ;^:;: ---^  ^^  -« «.  <^.,  „„, ,,..,. 

n-thin.  of  it  is  ,,si,„e  o„  .i'tl^erX^I r;!  "^''"^  ^'^  ^ 
«ye,.  h„s  a  powerfn,  ally  i„  .letectins  then  ™  ,,  ,'", '""""'  ''°«- 
Ins  (los-s  nose ;  ami  onc-e  f,n,„,l   ,,„   -V    ?'  '  "'*' ''''''"  »<'«it  of 

"r  >--".  in  the  ..  ,„„w  ,'"';,        '  ;:'°7,"^;  '*  "^•»  •'-  point  of 

"■■•en  he  th,.„sts  it  ,h„.„,„,  ,„,,,„„;  't  ,  o'r:  "T-^-  '■'""■■"^■• 

".«  .t  out  an.l  ,<i„i„,,  u  as  .leserihe,,  wit  t  fl  ,"        t,'"-,-'™'  ''""'- 

have  to  wait  only  an  h„„r  „,  ,„  |,,f,„.^  Zu  ,""'""' ""'i' 

record  when,  in  times  of  f„„,i„,.  ,  '     "     T       .'""  '  '""  "'^'''^  ■•»■«  on 
-;o,..™an,,  th,.ee,h,vs.  iZoC/.f^riir  "  ^^"^'  •"^^-  ""- 

ni.::;er-:t;;::;:Lr 

'»•  '-'  '■"»  for  n  seat      I    s     Ul     i  ,  "?■"'■"  ""■  "'"  '"<■'•■'  °*  ^•>"«- 

polar  „ear  statin,  hin,  i„  the  fa,;    /rf"     '■''''"'*'" '"■" 
gloom  revealed  ,„  |„.  ,„„.  „f  j,,^    '";  [""  «'"'■     '■I""".'  ".speotion  in  the 

'"  »-^  "".-  ....i.-.v,.h„hin«.      :ZZCT' ""'"'''"''•'  ^""•'"-' 
">"1  the  water  drains  off     The  seal,  i?  ™""'  ""'"''  ""  ''"■  i™ 

'"'•  -'■ then  the  hnnter  :.;r;;:::';v"''^™ •'.'-- ^" '-kin 

«.o"«h  ,„  s|,„„f  „,en,  thr,M,«h  the    ,    d      s       T  ,"'""  ''"  *"•»  '■'"- 
"""'"■  .v."nins  nanionless  „;  i,  i^,    J    j     ■'"'"''  *""  *^'  '""k  HI-,  the 

';■"  ••'  » m.  w-a.v  is  the  I,       t       „f      :  '''"  "   ""  ""'  "^'■"-     ''" 

tlf  »"imals  are  unnsnallv  warv    '„  *     ,'"""»"'""«l"l'  i"  the  Arctie.  as 

""■  '"■>■ --«'  i..  .'i.e  ...J,' wirhr:;:;:;;r  "^  "^'-•-^  """'-" 


i4 

'Hi 


Hlf 


M 


m 


Plfi 


■I'll 
0 


I, ' 


111 


58 


NDIROD    IN    THE    NORTH. 


\i  i 


t-  I 


r  I 


Colonel  Gilder,  in  the  uVeio  York  Herald,  describes  an  episode  of 
our  seal-huntinii'.  wliicli  I  transcribe :—"  We  Avere  at  Marble  Tslaiid. 
The  weatlier  was  calm,  so  that  seal  heads  were  sprinkled  plenti- 
fully npou  tlie  surface  of  the  water.  This  inspired  Lieutenant 
Schwatka  to  try  his  skill.  So,  fetching  his  ritle  Ironi  tlie  cabin  and 
willing  his  eye-glasses,  he  shot  at  a  large  head  about  a  hundred  yards 
from  tlie  vessel.  The  seal  made  a  desperate  effort  to  get  down  in  a 
hurry,  but  it  was  evidently  badly  hurt,  and  showed  a  great  deal  of 
1)1  ood  before  it  accomi)lished  its  descent.  Presently  it  came  up  again, 
and  a  boat  was  lowered  to  pick  it  up  ;  but  it  managed  to  escape  capture, 
though  it  was  evident  that  it  would  soon  die.  .Vfter  breakfast  the  next 
morning,  when  we  Avent  on  deck,  the  water  was  still  quite  smooth,  and 
presently  we  were  surpris^'d  to  see  Avhat  appeared  to  be  a  dead  seal 
floating  in  on  the  tide.  There  was  no  doubt  that  this  Avas  the  seal  that 
Lieutenant  Schwatka  had  killed  the  previous  night,  and  again  the  boat 
was  loAA'ered  to  secui'e  it.  'So  precautions  Avere  deemed  necessary  to 
avoid  making  a  noise,  and  avIicu  the  boat  came  alongside,  one  of  the 
men  threw  down  his  oar,  rolled  up  his  sleeA'es,  and  stooped  doAvn  to  lift 
the  carcass  on  board.  1  lis  surprise  may  be  imagined  a\  hen,  after  passing 
his  arms  around  it  and  pi'ocrcding  to  lift  it,  ho  I'd*  it  suddenly  begin  to 
struggle  and  slip  from  his  hold  and  dive  below  the  surface,  Avliile  a  loud 
shout  \v('nt  up  from  the  spectators.  It  was  not  Lieutenant  Hclnvatka's 
si'al  at  all.  but  one  that  Avas  sound  asleei)  Avhen  it  felt  the  rude  embrace 
of  the  sailor  I '' 


\i    i 


h     I 


'I 


CPIAPTER    in. 

THE   RIFLE  AXD   THE   IJEI.VDKEH. 

.  Of  all  tli«  game  animals  with  wliich  mv  little 

^  paitycan,e  in  contact  on  my  A..ti.  expilirion, 
here  :.  none  with  whi.h   I  ean  clain.   so   rU.^ 
■^    personal    acquaintance    as    with    tlie    Arctic 
]  aeer.     Jiefore  we  started  on  our  long 
..:.  ^     •:  sledge  journey,  in  the  spring  of  1870^ 
i  that    is,    from    the    time  we  landed 
j  among  the  Innnits,  my  own  partv  and 
;  the  natives  I  had  employed  had  killed 
:  l)etween  four  and  live  hundred  of  this 
■  'i»e    game.     On   the  sledge   trip   we 
s.rured  live  hundred  and  twenty-two  • 

w.'  added  many  more  to  tl.i  •      *''"'^  ''^'''  ''"'  '"'""'  '°  ^^'''^•^^'" '^  J''^>'' 

p-"a.>,y  three^o;;;:^  f  ^n;  mrr  r-  ,^ '''''  ^^"^  ^''--^' 

with  us  hut  one  montl.s   ".  ^  "      ^tiZlTT"  f  ^  ^"  "'^'^ 
the  reindeer  wliose  l..l>;t  /,    tiuJi/ed  food)  was  derived  frcmi 

^^'"«  '".V  .■...,;:■;:,:  z::^i:f"' "  --  """■■■  -^  ^"«- 
^■'.;.-..;pa,,H,,.,,,.,;r:::;.:::::::;;r- - -■■•^ -« 

;"'" ^-.  r,,,.  1:1::::: :  ;:';:::':-;;;"'7-'  >!■-'"« 

•'It  the  vicinifv -.(■  '  '   '''^'^    ^he   limuits  hiul 

.n,,u,,, :;:;:,::;;;"" ''"^  m...,,,,,,,  ,,.in,i,...,.  ,„.„t,, 

y".Hi^'  i.,„„if  i„  ;       ,  V       ,'■""""  '■"  '"■•'  ''"■■■'■""■'"it],  ,„o 

1...,.  «I,„  Inul  brought  us  s.„„.  ,viu.i •  uu,,f  t„  sHI   „r 


Hf 


it 


f     : 


ftli 


I 


60 


NI.}fRnD    TX    THE    NORTH. 


i  ! 
I  i 

if 


iHi 


i 


rather  tnidf  for  jjowdcr.  cMps  imd  l)iills.  Tlif  linlf  ]).'irly  sinrted  about 
noon  oil  tlir  LV)tli  of  AuuMist.  and  Colonel  (iildt  r  ivtnrncd  lunne  late  at 
niylit  on  the  list  of  8ei)t('nil)t'i'.  durinii-  a  heavy  storm  of  snow,  very 
liuniiry  and  very  tired,  lie  had  lu-eii  livini^-  for  the  last  three  or  fonr 
days  on  native  diet — law  reindeer  meat  and  wild  berries — liavin<i'  injn- 
diciotisly  shared  his  civilized  food  too  generously  with  his  native  com- 
panions, h()i)in,n-  that  they,  in  the  true  sjjirit  of  a  Ninirod,  would  give 
him  an  early  oi)i)ortunity  to  kill  his  coveted  reindeei-,  when  ]u>  coidd 
return  in  triumph  to  Arctic  Home.  But  alas  for  hojjes  based  on  Innuit 
generosity  I  A  few  scattered  reindeer  were  seen,  but  it  was  a  wild  foot- 
race, with  every  man  for  himself— in  which  the  unpracticed  Caucasian 
stood  a  poor  cliance  in  tht^  contest— over  razor-etlged  rocks,  hidden 
beneath  wet,  spongy  moss,  and  other  ecpially  severe  inii)ediments. 

The  cold  snap  at  the  end  of  October  began  to  bring  in  the  scattered 

native  hunters  to  erect  their  winter  (piarters  of  snow,  and  our  little 

camp,  so  long  nearly  deserted,  began  to  assume  a  very  lively  aspect. 

A  summing-up  of   the  autumn's  hunting  showed  that  between  four 

hundred  and  five  hundred  reindeer  had  been  killed  by  the  natives  who 

Avere  to  make  theii-  cpiartei-s  with  us  that  winter.    So  we  felt  relieved  of 

all  anxiety  in  regard  to  a  winter's  su])i)ly  of  the  v.iy  best  of  Arctic 

meat,  and  a  plentiful  supi)ly  of  reindeer  skins  for  Avinter  clothing  and 

bedding.     And  these  skins  were  of  the  finest  quality,  for  the  reindeer 

skins  secured  in  the  month  of  October  are  snjierior  to  those  taken  later 

in  the  year,  the  hair  being  less  liable  to  come  out.  and  not  so  heavy  as 

to  render  the  clothing  uni)liable.     After  January  the  reindeer-skins  of 

this  section  of  the  country  are  worthless,  owing  to  the  readiness  with 

which  the  hair  comes  out.    These  are  thrown  away  by  the  native  hunters, 

they  having  no  nse  for  the  skins  whatevei-,  except  so  far  as  they  hold  a 

certain  amount  of  fur  on  them.    During  this  part  of  the  winter  lliey  are 

fed  to  the  dogs,  shonld  the  latt<'r  be  hungry  enough  to  want  them,  and 

probably  one  in  five  or  ten  thousand  is  tanned  of  its  hair  and  made  into 

their  Jifc-low-tiJii^,  or  drums,  for  singing  oi-  religious  cei'emonies.     This 

shedding,  from  January  on.  comes,  I  think,  from  the  summer  coat,  as 

the  loss  of  that  of  the  winter  coat  does  not  c(mimence  nntil  s])ring,  but 

lasts  nearly  through  the  summer.     In  short,  I  think  the  reindeer  sheds 


|if 


I 


THE    RIFLE    AND    THE    liEIXDEER. 


twice  annnally,  tlie  len^rjh  of  both  periods  be-'n-^  mn.l.  ]  ,       • 

t  e  ten......  .e^ions,  the  ter..  abnost  o^^^X  27  '^7  " 

te«u«„^  „„    .„,  .■:,:;:;:'- r:;  :;:;r r:;: 

anoe.     Tlie  ,r,Joo,  ov  snou'-l.ut,  has  been  described  so  oft.n  i 

describe  it  here      Tlif  utility-  .^i'  ^i.     •   /  ,  "^  "'*^  '^ 

«s«l.     I  l,.ne  ,va,l  so  ol,™  of  ,!„.(,■  s„flen„j;s  whil,.   Ihi,,,-  i„   „, 
mnnne,..  and  ,„.e».ea  i„  olo„.i„«  ,na„e  f,,,„,  ,„;„„.         w'  t„  I    ^ 
/one,  under  circumstances  tliat  to  niv  ir.rtv  un.,i,i  i.        ,  '^"'l^eiate 

...ea..,.  a„„  o,  .,.,■  „.,.o„.o.  .^^ZZ^J^Z  tT:Z 
.*ni,s  ,  ,.,v,.isU„,  in.,|,„,,  daily  jo,„.„e,s  f,,.,,,  the.se  abo  e'lm"   „    , 
intHisoly  )„„■  temperatures  as  -fl,,".  _«„»  ,,,,,      -,,o  p  ,'""8  *"" '' 

no  provisions  excei)t  such  "-ame  i^  u-..«  i-;r    i  f         n  'i"^tiM^or,AMtli 

1  .^  oin  n  ^tiiiie  .IS  «,i>5  Ki  letl  Ironi  d'lv  fr»  /lo,-  *i     j.  ^i 

conviction  .eeo,„es  t«.o-e.„ea  ti.t  t„e  acoes.orie.s:';;fJ:'::,  .'r,:: 


Bill 


I        ,;'^ 


i;i 


ill  ill  i 
Ifir 


"! 


G:i 


NIMliOD    IN    THE    NORTH. 


clothing  are  essential  to  a  well-managed  Arctic  sledge  journey.  With 
their  help  the  subject  of  the  intensity  of  cold,  strange  as  it  may  seem, 
becomes  of  secondary  if  not  entirely  of  nunor  importance,  and  if  it 
were  not  for  the  long  dark  night  which  accompanies  the  seas(»n  of  these 
depressions  of  temperature,  a  winter  sh'dge  journey  could  })e  carried 
forward  in  almost  any  part  of  the  Arctic  region  appropriate  f  jr  it  with 
no  small  chance  of  success. 


IIKIXDKKI:. 


.1         s 

I 


And  now  a  word  in  regard  to  this  Innuit  reindeer  clothing.  The 
native  has  two  suits  of  it,  jin  outer  one  with  the  hair  turned  outward, 
and  an  inner  one  Avith  the  hair  turned  toward  the  body.  This  is  true 
of  the  coat,  trowsers  and  stockings.  With  the  exception  that  the  inner 
suit  is  generally  of  finer  and  softer  fur,  being  made  from  fawn  skins, 
there  is  no  essential  difference  in  the  two  suits:  in  fact  bv  reversin<'' 


THL 


RIFLE    AND    THE    HEINDKEli. 


U3 


e  the,,  „  nay  ,e  ,„e<l  „,  a  ,ul,,„itute  f,,,-  the  ,„h„..  r„  ,he  .after  „•„, 
oDeee,n.,e,.,  I  „„„,«», ho«  dedge  journey  .l„e  „,„,h,  a.,o„t  Ivint^ 
->r  e,«hty  ■„■  e,,  to  aee  if  I  „o„U  «e,  through  the  high  h  lU  k„,  „■ ,  t^  « 
»«n,ewhe,.e    ,et>vee„  Huds„u'»  Bay  and  Wa«er  Rive,-,  |     u  v 

lo    ,,„ah  .,  fa„,,ly  and  a  Ne,..hin„U  young  ,„a„,  JIUkolilluk,     ,d   x 
pected  to  be  gone  a  eonpleot  weeks,  leaving  on  Deeember  28  in  a  ,evem 
n,»v„,o,,„  „,,„,,  lasted  for  font  days.    We  pushed  on.  hou-e  ";  o3 
.*.l«e  journey,  .ianua,,-  1  ,,eing  the  H,..,t  tine  dav  we  Iuu,_„  d  a  ,-  ^ 
W^ea.  s  treat  it  wa.  after  .so  „,„oh  dreary,  ..is,.,,  weathe        ,,;,■: 
that  the  day  was  prophetic-  of  the  <'on,ing  vear  I  keut  on  with  x1 

heart ;  but  after  a„  we  only  suoeeeded  in  n.aking  I™«  ^J^  ^  oiw' 
«  our  havmg  .seen  reindeer,  for  it  is  in,i,ossiWe  to  proven'  Tn       .  ,  t 
fron.  attempting  to  kill  then,  if  he  has  onee  laid  eve   o,  t  "e        Tl    ' 

Tn  ;;;"s:ir: ;: t- ""'  r™  *"- '"' '-  ""*  -  --we '^  >-'' " 

.•^n  tn  su,  h  ,1  1  ,«  ,s  important.  Toolooah  secured  or,  reindeer 
.we  ,.an,ped  that  night  at  one  of  his  fu-mer  ;„>oo.  built  w  de  I  n! 
d.vUu,ntmg  and  where  he  had  ™,V,«^  some  four  or  ti>e  .■ar.assls  of 
■e.n,leer.  The  Innuit  «„/„,  or  tneat-eairn,  is  built  oflloe  I  ^J 
stones  oefore  the  snow  becomes  deep  or  solid  by  freezing,  and 'o  t  .,t 
..-tern,  afterward,  with  ti,e  addition  of  plenty  of  wate'r  o  ,■„  , 
protecng  ,.over  of  ice  to  p.vent  ti,e  dep,.ed!,tions  of  \v  v  ,„, 
olverjnes,  bears  and  other  anin.als,  this  preventing  their  s.'aTch 

On  he  eighth  of  .,_„„,ary,  having  satisfied  n,vself  that  T  Cutd  «nd 

p.-act„..al  route  by  this  way  to  the  ^Vager  R.ver;  I  started  ,        ".   ' 

l.ut  I  felt  .so,newh,at  disappointed  that  I  ha,l  seen  no  .vcent  si,,,"  rf 

The.,  huge  carcasses,  c„ra,.a>v,l  with  those  of  the  reindeer  n,ake  them 
a  mo,.e  rehable  source  of  food  for  a  large  canine  fo,.ce  than  ar    the  r   n 
eer,  and  tl„s  w.as  an  important  item  in  my  forthcoming  sled,     ex" 
1    on.     I  reached  home,  or  rather  the  place  we  ca,led\o,„e    o,    te' 
.  th,  the  coldest  weather  I  expe,-ienced  on  the  trip  being  on  th.,t   P 

.  .1  .     ihat  day  I  made  a  ,|o,„ney  of  twentvflve  miles  and  ..t  ■,..  time 
.l..r„,g  the  day  did  I  feel  at  al,  uncomfortab.;  from  the  JoW,':'  high:; 


i;- 


!  n  f 


-  f 

¥'        i  i 


i;   i! 


04 


NIMROD    IX    THE    NORTH. 


I     i. 


I'l 


If  ^ 


the  thermometer  reached  during  the  day  being  minus  T)!)'.     Indeed.  I 
might  SUV  that  I  really  enjoyed  the  whole  trip,  and  I  attribute  this 
almost  wholly  to  the  Innuit  reindeer  clothing  I  wojv,  and  constant  living 
in  an  igloo,  like  the  natives,  where  the  temperature  is  never  above  the 
freezing  point  and  generally  from  ten  to  iifteen  degi-ees  l)elow  it.     I 
do  n  ^i  believe— and  my  opinion  is  contirmed  by  the  written  accounts 
of  oihers— that  any  Arctic  voyagers,  housed  in  warm  sliii)s  as  their 
base,  and  clad  in  the  nsual  Arctic  suits  of  explorers,  could  stand  such  a 
journey  Avithout  more  or  less  material  discomfort.     Once  only  did  I 
learn  the  lessen  of  caution.     I  took  off  my  right  mitten  to  get  a'  shot  at 
a  passing  reindeer,  with  the  wind  blowing  stifliy  in  my  fnce  and  the 
thermometer  at   mi  tins   'iM\  and  the  peisistent  refusal  of  the  frozen 
gun-lock  to  work  perfectly  kept  my  hand  exposed  so  much  longer  than 
I  intended,  that  when  I  attempted  to  use  it  again  it  seemed  paralyzed, 
and  looking  at  it,  I  noticed  that  the  skin  was  white  as  marble.     'I'oo- 
looah,  Avhowas  beside  me,  noticed  it  at  the  same  time,  and  with  an 
Innuit   exclamation  of   surprise,   hastily  drojiping  both  his  mittens, 
grasped  it  between  his  warm  hands,  and  then  holding  it  against  his 
warmer  ])ody,  nnder  his  coo-le-tah  or  Innuit  coat.     It  soon  resumed  its 
functions,  and  although  I  felt  for  some  time  as  if  I  were  holding  a 
hornet's  nest,  I  experienced  no  more  serious  residts  than  a  couple  of 
ugly  looking  blisters,  where  the  iron  of  the  ;;un  iiad  come  in  contact 
with  the  lia re  hand.     The  reindeer  escaped  ! 

As  the  reindeer  clothing  is  the  warmest  in  the  Airtic.  so  it  makes 
the  warmest  bedding.  Two  large  skins  being  made  into  a  long,  eotlin- 
like  bag  or  sack,  the  hairy  side  in.  are  sullicient  ])rotection  in  the  cold. -st 
weather,  if  one  sleeps  in  a  ])ropei'ly  constructed  iiih,,,.  Wlien  the  iirst 
severe  cold  came  at  North  Huds(m's  P,ay,  I  was  sleeping  nmh'r  a  blanket 
and  two  flne  bulfalo  rol)es,  which  I  had  brought  from  the  great  plams, 
but  [  found  tiiem,  as  the  thermometer  sank  below  miints  \\(f  to  40°,  to 
be  inadetpiate  to  secure  comfort,  until  I  )>ro(Mnvd  a  reindeer  sleeping- 
bag,  weigliing  not  half  as  nmch.  after  which  cold  nights  wen-  no  longer 
dreaded.  The  lobe  of  the  American  bison  seems,  under  the  least 
provocation,  to  beccmie  danni,  and  then  freezes  as  still"  as  a  ]ii<re  of 
sole-leather.     Once  spoiled  in  this  manner,  it  is  difficnlt  to  diy  it  and 


THE    RIFLE    AND    THE    RELXDL 


Eli. 


restore  it  to  its  former  pJi.bi,i,y  i^  the  losv 


65 


Tile  furs  of  the  be 


iver  and  iiiuskrat  I  found  to  l)e 


temi)erature  of  an  ////, 


0(J. 

zone  wouhl  have  jmupd  ..«  „     i        •.•  Iuin  ot  the  tenipei'ate 

of  Vpril    lS7q       \.       I  ^^''J"""**^^^  <^^  the  expedition  on  the  1st 

of  civilized  previa  „„  a'u     o  "i  e   ,  ".'"  "'"'  ""  """"''  """"'■^' 

.•>n,l„„e,ioul  p,.„,,,vs,  „         t^  ,"    '""■"  '"  '""'""""•  '-■'•  '"'""■ 

l..tte.wo„M  io  Cfo      ,i    ,     ,'  """"     ""  "'^  '"""■"^"'  ■^"  *"^"  "- 
fasts  cnsisf.,!  „'  i  "  '     T  "■  "/"'""""  '""""■^■-     '""'  '"-"- 

1'.-..  Th. .„„.., v,.,.e r„. s.n,!   :;,.:;:;:' ■'  ;"■' 

«H„e,.„„s  ,„pply„f  r,.„..„  ,„i,„u..,.  nu.,  ;.,;;■,      ";''■'■■  """  " 
waiting  f,n.  the  kettle  t„  l,„i|      This  r  "  ""  "■«  "'''■'' 

ah..eheti„toeh.nks.h„;'thel  „  z;;;::;™;;;;7;"><'««;^^ 

niaslied  bv  tlie  Irwh  nf  ti..  i    .  ,  "ngeis.  .,nd  then  ^^enei-allv 

".>    I  lie  o.K  1^  ot  tile  hatchet  to  ronvpi-i-  if  ,-.,<^     i        i        , 
before  beino-  eheu-pd      Ti.    «    .    .v     "'  ^"'^^^^^  'f  mfo  brasliy  rhreiids 

t-'" tte,.:  „„t  ^he  veLf ;;';;,':.  7',:"*'";  r"'"^  ""■ 

""nnth.ll  over  the  h,„iv   espeei.,ilv                                      "'"'   '''■  "  ■"""'"' 
thee„seirthevh-,ve,        I,  '"'^f"  "'"'  " '  " Ii  is  „h™y.s 

;; -'"' ^  .>"»-"::.::.::::;:::;:';:;:,;::;'::!,''■;■ 

'll«'    |i<»t.       Sc.'il    •111,1    ,...,1....  .  Ill.lt  cooked   lu 


if  I 


:f 


I!  1'' 


^^11 


^^rym:^. 


TI/E    lilFLE    AND     THE 


or  in  parr,   uiid  in  tlii^ 


lary  to  tlieir  taste,  wliic]i 


s  manner  ^-et  all 


REINDEER. 
Itness 


i«  imicli  less  than  that  de 


that 


ti? 


IS  neces- 


sired  by  ,'ivilized 


cooks. 

pound.  i„  \ . :  1  r  ;r'"  '  '"'■ '"""'-' -"i  •■i«i.f,v-,iv,. 

.vu^u^t.   liowever,   they  Mere  so  le-m  fli-.t  Jf 
^  nieet  any  with  fat  upon  then.  "'  '^  '''''  ''''''  ^'* 

l'i<'i)al)i\    ov..)\  in  these  months      •>  M,,.,.,   ,i 

ni<N   A\,.,,.  ,,.,,s,|y  „v(>rtak.'n  I.v  tli."  l.,nts    or  .  > 
nill'seives   helinid    iMf,,,.  .f    .  •  "o.lFs.    oi     to    secret,. 

.        ''"'"    l-",i;e  ston.vs.   contlui.ous   to  ,,Me  of  tl,,,;,.  „-.,||.  ,  , 

"'•''""""   •""■■'"'"■>•  .-'Pproaehed,     Ti.ev  were    .„   ,.i 

"•"'"■'"'"  ""'Mvas  shot   the  o.lier    .  .  '""'     '"    ''•■'''■^• 

''•••^*'-n..reany,,en>  d„:  r;:  ;rr'7-"'''V 

-'hM  stand  three  or  ionrslu^nVn''"" 

'''•''--'n-sionateeo      :      ;r^^^;^^^^ 

'•      1^  !'•  <  <lJ<'ss  to  say,  doubled  our  chance 


ii  I. 


C8 


NIMROD    IN    THE    NORTH. 


! 


It 


11 


of  s.HT.'ss  ;  tl.()iiu-li,  1  iniist  cmn.ss,  if  wMs  ()ht:iiii..,l  in  violation  of  our 
beff.T  l\.(.lin-s.  Th.-ir  sympathy  mnst  indtvd  have  h.M'n  v.mt  stron-  to 
hiivt'  indnccd  tlicm  to  iv.nain  s.)  iono^  |,y  ii„.i,.  wi.Miided  :  foHf  at  otli.M- 
times  our  sliots  miss.'d.  tlw  painc  ocrasion,.,!  by  the  dischar-e  of  tlie 
Kims  was  so  o-reat  tliat  tii..y  H.mI  in  all  <liivctions,  an<l  there  was  no 
c'liMiu'e  of  nvttinn-  near  them  a-ain.  When  presse.l.  ih.>y  ivadilv  took 
to  the  Wider  to  swim  to  islands  that  were  three  or  fo.ir'mil.vs  distant. 
In  this  way  w  niana-ed  to  ^.'t  fonr  nidinrt  on  board  the  Tivnt.  where 
Mv  ha<l  r.'conrse  to  <n-.MT  contrivatiee  in  onr  i)ow,>r  to  retain  th.Mn  aliv.s 
bnt  they  were  so  wild  that  they  brok.'  their  limbs  ami  inlliete.l  other 
serious  wounds,  which  obligvd  us  to  kill  them  in  order  to  put  an  en.l  to 
their  sulfei-inu-s." 

On  the  7th  of  May.  our  i)arty  killed  ten  reind.vr  out  of  a  herd  of 
fourteen.     The  seen,' was  an  exceedinu-ly  .short  one.     The   herd   beiiii,^ 
deseried  about  a  n'iie  distant,  lyin-  d,,wn  on  th..sid,M)f  a  hill,  all  the 
Innuit  hunters  ami  (^>h,nel  Gihler  starf.-d  in  pursuit,  tlu' sledovs  ami 
do.iAS  reniainin-  on  the  spot.     For  about  half  wav  the  hunters  wer.» 
hidden  IVoni  siu-ht  by  the  hills,  but  m'arly  all  the  r.vst  of  th.Mlistanee 
was  made  by  .Tawliii-  in  Indian  tile,  in  full  si-ht  of  th(>  animals,  nntil 
a  near  hill   for  a  nunute  or  two  allowed  them  to  -et  within  about  :i 
hundred  yards,  m  lien  a  voHey  of  rille  shots  greeted  the  asto.nshed  herd; 
and.  although  oidy  one  was  wounded  at  the  first  fire,  before  the  Ix-wil- 
dered  ])and  eouM  det.>rmine  a  safe  direction  to  pursue,  fen  „!'  their 
nnmlxT  were  woumh"<l  or  dead,  all  of  which  were  secmvd.   for  it  is 
seldom  that  a  reindeer  wounded  at  all  severely  is  lost  by  agood  hunter. 
Two  of  the  remaining  four,  retunnng  to  look  up  th."ir  missing  cnn- 
rades.  wre  secured  by  Toolooah  th.'  next  moriung.     We  were  now  in 
a  country  that  ha<l  never  bet',, re  been  fr<.(l<len  by  white  men  or  natives 
armed  with  their  weapcms  ;  and  as   fire-arms    had    nev.-r   been    heard 
l>y   the  game  of   the    hK'ality.     they  acted    with  a  st.ipiditv  i.lainly 
ivvealing  this   hu'\.     AVhere   the  reimleer   are    accustomed   "f,,    l,..ing 
hunted  with  fire-arms,  t h,>y  l„.,.(.m.'  shyen(,ugli  to  give  one  exc<-llen"t 
sport  in  their  capture.     Like  the  antelope,  th.'y  will  circle  around  until 
th.'y  <'atch  -the  win.l  "  before  they  start  off.  and  this  lu'culiaritv.  when 
a  few  magazim.  guns  are  in  full  blast,   is  suicidal.     Thev  als,,  have 


7V//-;    HIFLE    AND     THE    m, 


UNDEElt 


.sonietliing-of  the  cuno.sity  of  tl.o  antcl 


C9 


iiM  f'xiciit.     Like  ill!  ..iiiii.al.s  that 


<>1H",  l.iit  n..t  (levHloped  to  .s.H-h 


iity  iv,siiliiii<r  i'roiii  iiiinilHTs  makes  tl 
line  of  letreat.     In   tlii 


<'oiinTe^;,te  ill  droves,  r|„.  j;,| 


l*'MI    lllllch  s|( 


se  secil- 


S     111 


till'  Aiiiericaii  <'ll 


bauds,  tllev  III 


!vs,  ;md  like  il 


'»"<'••  they   closely   re.seialil 


'\\«'l'  to  J)ick  out    (I 


leir 


■e  ^aiiie  wortiiy  of  aiiv 


'•'"',  when  often  liunted  and 


Tile  next  day,  the  Hth 


niiin  s  powder. 


*'  in  stii])iditv 


in  small 


!i  lierd  of  leinch'er,  kill 


<''"'<>'Hif<'i<'<l  a  flesh  musk 


iiiM' ^<'Vfn  of  the  hit t 


-     -,  --.....rt  ,-,t-»,-n  oi  riKMatter 
siViisormarkino-.stonesfoi-salnKmm../,.,.  Hie'l 


\V 


'■^-ox  trail,  and 
<'  also  came  up,,,,  ,,],[ 


On  the  i.'lih.  the  weall 


th 


K'l-  was  so  l)ad 


liindiworkof  tlienat 


ives. 


Miifil 


"' many  ivind.vi- sions  kept  Toolooal 


w' remaim'd  over.     1  noticed  that 


had 


snilied   out  in  the  )( 


'  in  !i  stale  (»f  nervous  excitement 


i'DselKVol  a  eoupleof  hours,  he  returned 


nipestiious  elements;  and  aft 


er 


to  l)riiio-  in  th 


•  '  carcasses  oi 


'<>  ,i^<'t  tlie  (h)ns  and  a,  sled. 


Iierd  ( 


N''ve,i  reindeer  that  he  had  kided 


w 


>f  ^'ight,  with  ei^'llt  shots  of  his  Wiuel 


itli  theii- carcasses,  two  oj| 


lierd 


ol 


nx'at  that  we 


al)oiit  I  wo  liiindred  reindeer,  but 
lowed  them  to  trot  ))v  will 


K'sfer.     On  th 
K'i's  were  secured.     On  the  i.|i| 


out  of  a 
c  way  l)ack 


I  we  jiassed  a 
our  sh-does  were  so  loaded  with 


liey  were  sin<i-ularlv  tai 


lie 


would  halt  likeacoiiipanvofcaval 


"d  olteu.  I'unnin.r  f 


lu  easy  riti(»  range  unscatJu'd. 


owa rd  us  a,  U'w  ] 


>aces. 


dihited  eyes  and  distended 


creature  would  send 1 1 


'•yconi,ngintoline,andgazeatuswith 
"ostrils.  until  jisnoit  l" 


drilled   1 1 


'OOlK'I'S. 


AV 


"'"">'l"  ''.v  the  flank,  with 
t' enjoyed   the  privih-v  of  si 


I'om  some  sus])iciou8 
measured  trot,  likewell- 


'•'"•'■ '"ore  l.y  not  takino- advantage  of  1 1, 


lowing  our  hiinianitv 


•"'''""•''•' «"i:'niiisticeuntilourheavilyladeush.,l 


"' ''"nlideiice.  and  we  williiml 


\' 


what  lighter.     Signs  of  juitiv 


ics  should  becon 


1.'>(h  of  May  we  came  iqum  a  band  of  tJ 
*■'    ''""1»1<'  of  old    men,    luid  ev.^r  befor. 


es  were  daily  growing  freslK 


K'sonie 


1".  and  on  the 


CO 


nse(|uently  attracted  an 


staring  ey,.s.  rivet.-d  inteutl 


iiuusiial  degree  of  th 


nrty  souls,  only  two  of  wl 
seen   any   white  men. 


uiad 


If 


.V  ujxm  us,  followed 


Ksl 


I"'  white   men    had    been   cil 


Olll. 

AV.- 

•'il'  ciiri(,sity.  and  their 
'■very  motion  that  \\e 


\v\\] 


Kmio.  the  acti(,ii  of  their  m\ 


IS.   as   Wl 


nosities  to  thes..  simple-minde,! 


.V  appallim 


\Xi 


had 


'"oiifli  of  IJack's  (Ireat  Fish   \\ 


•  Xpected    to    meet    nati 


sllowed  them   their  u 


se 


was 


ves  upon  or  jie;,,.   ,1, 


o 


'('( 


an.  and  had  (h'p.'iuh'd  t 


'Ver.   where    it   empties    into    the   A 


'>  a  certnin  extent  uiMm  j.rocuring  from  !l 


rctic 


lem 


il 


'~t 


W 


70 


NIMROl)    IN    THE    NORTH. 


f 


F    ; 


\\\- 


d()^-f^.«.(l  and  oil,  but  „„u'  we  r,„in.l  th(^  tables  turned.  Instead  of 
being  beggars,  w,.  w.mv  i.liilanfliroj.isfs,  and  instead  of  being  receivers 
Ave  wen.  oblige.!  (o  give,  for  we  found  our  new  Innuit  friends  in  a,  state 
<'t  s,.n.i-starvation.  Their  f-.o.j  iu  the  sun.n.er  and  .-arlv  winter  is 
fnrnish,.d  by  llie  numberless  sl.oals  of  saln.on  that  then 'ascend  the 
(•re.>ks  ami  smaller  riMTs,  and  are  si..>ared  as  tliev  run  the  gauntlet  of 


]?A('K  s  gi{i:at  fish  ijivkr. 


tl.e  rainUs.  The  ilesh  ..f  the  musk-ox.  whi.l,  il„.y  hunt  with  dogs  and 
»)ous  and  arrows  or  sp.'ars,  all'or.ls  theuia  j.recarious  subsistence  d„rin.- 
the  remainder  of  the  year.  They  kill  barely  enough  reindeer  in  the 
summer  to  suj.ply  them  will,  ,<lothing.  th.>  n<.ise  of  walking  or  crawling 
<ni  the  erisp  snow  of  the  fall  and  winter  .season  making  it  im])ossibh.  to 


III! 


THE    lilVLK    AKT)     THE 


REINDEER. 


get  siifRcicnrlv  iicai-  t 


71 


O    SCCIII'«?    tllH    o;||ll.'    with    I 


lOW'S 


and 


Tlif 


■"  ,,„  .„    ,    ,.   l„„vs„.,„«  „,,v,.|i„«  „„„,.  ,,„.i,ll.v  ,1,„„   the  ,,„■„»■    ,l„. 

;"■""■  ; '■  ""  ""  -""''•"">  ■'"  i"-i.i"«-  o„t  ,„•  the  «.v,  ut  any  ,„■  t',, 

i..'.V,.,„l   ,>v,.„ty.hv,,  ,„.  thirty  .v,„,is.      „„t  in  the  »„„„;,  ,..ti,„eth.. 

"-  l"ll'";"l  l>.v  tiM-  n,„ive,,  ,h,,,uo.h„.,t  ,he.A,.tio  not  ,„.„vi,i,       i, 
'■■■■"•'"r-  '-^ ':'.'■:■ »'""""■"'  »"-  — "cnts  ,.t  a,„„t  tii-t 

'""•'•;  ■™'"^ ;"':-'i .« -he ....t  „t ,„.„„,i„ent ,.:.,.., 

i ;;: .  ",i: :  r  ^  't'"'.  ""'•■"  '""^  '"■""■"■'>•  •— •"  -'•  -■■."' 

n.,t  s  ,,t   II  ,.  v,„|e,-  „  ,.,!.,.  „r  s„„„.   |„,,«e   l.l^e  ,„•  wi.le  rive,.        \  si,.,,,, 
..,    <,,„t  ,s  ke„t    ,■,.,„,„„„  „,,„„„,,   ,„  .„^^  ^,„„  .,  ^^  ,^,,_._,  ^^^  _^  .  ^  1> 

;"l  "^■;'»ulk,„«.„ithi„   , „„„e  „„^,1„  lV„.,„e,n.v  the  .sh,„.e 

""■  ■":'  ;■"'«:'■  '"-'""«  "i'"  ■^'"" in,.,  the  „„tive»  e„«a«,,l  in  1 1 

:  :  '■ '"" ":' '  ^'';"'-^- '""^"■■'  '"■■  '•'■"■"-■•  "»■"•  "o«-., and ,„.,.„„.«, 

YI--  -'■    I'Kiir   /vv/,*,    l,ei„,,  ,.,„.,.i,.,,   ,„„„„  ,„,  ,.,„„.,^,„, 

■^; ---n.laee  „e,„.  the    „,„e,.-.s   e,|.e.      The   he,.,l,    «,..in.Ml 

•slou    a,,,,,..,,,,,  „l   ,l,ei,.  ene,„ies.  „.,„  |ei»,„.e|y  ,„,y  ,„„„   ...ev^e 

""    "'  """;■'  ""■  ■ '^  "'- ■'f.N  -hi..l,  have  been™a,le  to  .^Zt 

*   ;," ;"' ""■"',"^  " -"  ""  ""^■^"*'  ""•■■>•  "••'-■»«  .he,„selves  ,. 

'""";'  ""  ;'"■  ' '  ^'•"■■.  ""-.v  tak,.  to  ,l,e  wate,.  a,  the  onlv  na-an 

;'  ;:'■■""■  '"  '  '  ■  '  "«  -""'■■■  -  the  l,e,.,l  l-ai,.,y  in  t ,  the  a  ile 

""T  :";;■ '"  '"■' '"'"•  M.""«ti„.o„.hthe  „.ate,.  in  t;,..i,.  /.„;; 

Ih.s  s|„>,.,  ,s  ,„„  „.i,|,o„t  i,s  ,la„.e,.s,  as  olV„tinie,s  a  «.o„„;ie.l 

.';; i  '""'■■"■"'    ' '-   -"'«   lli,h'   -i..h.,   vviti,  .swi," 

'""'"  ■'"■'   '*-'■"«  '"'"f"  <"n,s  so  swiftly  on  his  ,„„.»„„.  th.,M,: 

i;;;:;';  :„';;„":"'^-.  ""•,  '■'•"■^""  '■■"■'""■■  ">  '■'-•  -■'  "•>■  -h.  : 

,    ■      ,'ei  """■  '"■""'"  "'  '"•'■^""'  l'«™I.ti.vrescne.n.yson,e 

•   .       .  1.  I......  o,.  ,nana,.es  to  ,|,.,„  on  the  ....-k  of  l,is  „oat  „nti|  ,,el,, 

;    ;;  ;■    '    ";'  ""-'""■■ '•  -  ""■  ""liv<'»  .'.,.>•,  that  a  he,.,l  of  ,.„i,„,ee, 

«.  1    ,.,,,eat,..ny  ,..a.e  .i.^ht   th,,,,,,!,  this  line  of  ..ni.-ns,   ,vitl,„„t  C 
l".-he,.  nofee  than  a  few  s„s„i,.i„„s  ,la„,.es  a,  the s  thev  ,11  i,v 


IM      '^  \ 


'^  NIMROn    IN    THE    NORTH. 

hut  the  moment  movin,'  li.-.uvs  force  tl.e.u  n^ainst  tlie.se  station.rv 
ones   then-  snspieion  is  n,ise<l  tc,  a  piteh  h.Vh  ,„ou.di  t,>  nu.k.  the/,, 
take  to  tl.e  water  rather  tha.i  trust  them.     \Vt  this  is  not  verv  h-n<l 
to  ecanprelieml,  if  one  knows  the  aln.ost  half-amphihions  nature'of  'the 
Aretn-  ,leer.     I  have  see.i  tliem,  wiien  takitig  np  a  line  of  n.areh.  wade 
and  swnn  r.^it  tliroa^h  a  deep  hd.e  that  interpose.l   itself  in  their 
duvrt  eonrse   rather  than  ^.>  aronnd  it.  althon.ul,  this  wonld  no,   iu.ve 
exacted  aniarked  detonr,  whi.-h  faet.  I  imagine,!,  iuust  have  1,,.,,  as 
I'Mtent  to  the  deer  as  it  was  to  myself.     The  Innnits  tell  me  <,f  .ven 
iH.l.ler  exploits.     AVhen  ],ursned  ami  -<.ornered  "  on  some  of  the  ion- 
narrow  to,i,,ues  of  huul  projeetinK  into  Hndson's  H.v.  thev  have  knnZ 
tlu>  ,h>er  to  take  to  the  sea  and  swin,  directly  ontwanl,  nn",il  they  were 
W  to^si-ht.     Whether  they  were  thereby  <lrowned  or  not.  the,'  eould 

Tl.eArrtiedeersee,nstobeal,m,st  as  mneh  more  an.phihious  than 
hisSonthern  tellow,  as  the  poh.ri.ear  is  than  his  Southern  hretlnvti 
-I  thud,  there  is  no  evidence  of  a,i  open  ],olar  sea.'"  said  Lieutenant 
Danenhower  of  onr  Xavy.  in  an  interview  a  short  time  a-^o      -  Ml  ,1,^ 
facts  tend  to  prove  that  the  polar  basin  is  interspersed  with  islands   like 
a  senes  of  ste].pinn-st(mes.     It  is  well  known  that  the  Siberian  reindee.. 
l«Mve  been  fon.ul  on  the  island  of  S])itzber.uvn,     These  de,>r  have  br-,>..ls 
attd  mai1<in^s  that  are  nse<l  in  Siberia,  a.ul  ma.ty  p.oph,  inelndin^mv- 
self.    think   they  reached  Spitzber.uvn  by   way  of  a  svstem  of  isl  ,nds 
which  form  thesteppin-stones  T  have  mentione<l.     \\V  have  fonnddeer 
on  the  islaml  north  of  the  Asi.t.c  coast,  and  to  ^vt  there  thev  ha.l  to 
.lonrney  nt  least  one  hnndred  miles  over  the  ice.    The  vast  accnmnlations 
of  ice  that  drift  out  of  the  polar  basin  each  yearnn.st  leave  laro,-  wder" 
spaces  ;  but.  as  I  said  before,  there  is  no  evidence  of  an  open  j'ii.Iar  sea 
A-ain   the   -e  brinos  ,Unyn  lai-e  quantities  of  earth  and  stones,  show- 
iiio-  ,t  has  been  in  contact  with  land  in  nianv  i.laces."' 

We  crosse<l  ove,'  to  Kin-  William's  Lanil  on  J.nie  II,  and  the  great- 
est consolation  on  our  lirst  U.v  days"  journey  was  the  lar-e  numl^-r  of 
reindeer  we  here  en.'ountered.  and  which  reports  of  the  natives  who 
ono-ht  to  have  known,  ha.l  led  us  to  brieve  w<,uld  not  be  foun.l  It 
may  be  interesting  to  note  that  on  June  o..,  i.sri),  the  civilivd  provisions 


11^: 


o 


f  fl 


THE    RIFLE    AND     THE    REIXDEER. 
le  ],Mm'   u.,v  ..xluM.st..,!,    iMvvi„„s   to   uhich   timo  iJiev  hml  1 


)ef'ii 


^■n.itly  n.,l..,v,l  .u  th.  .viu.leer,-„„uf,.y,  a„.l  f,.,,,,  that  (h.te  u,.til  \I.,rh 
^0,  ISSO.  uv  liv...l  M.l.ly  „H  ,h.  sun.,  diet  as  oar  native  allies,  na.l,  as  I 
liMVH   al.va.ly  said,    principally    up.,a   ivii„l,...r   meat.      On   .lulv   '^0 
wlnlewewe,viutl.es„„tlien.   p:,H  of  K.vIm.s   R.y,  ue  lo„u.[  .a.rM.lves 
<-<"'.pl.'tely.M.t(,r  n.eat,  an  .Mrunvnn.  uln,-h   lu.d  seMon.   Iu,ppen...l 
owmn-t„  Tnol.MKih's  .•..•tivifyand  o„od  lu.ntinu-.     I  ii..w  IVIt   that  we 
surely  ha.l  m  fast  ahead  of  us,  lor  the  lo,.  u,s  o,.e  of  the  verv  thickest 
I  had  ever  see.i  ia  n.y  lile,  but  (h^s],ite  all  this.  Toolooali  se.MUvd   three 
reindeer  after  l.einn-  absent  about  four  hours.     The  Innuits,  when  hunt- 
inu-  reindeer  .lurinn-  thick,  lieavy  weather,  o,.nerallv  o„  in  pairs,  a<von,- 
panied  by  a  -ood  trained  don-  taken  from  their  teams,  and  keep  well  t.. 
the  h...  sKh.  <.!•  the  .p.arter  suspected  of  .•..ntainino-  u-an.e.     Th..  .h./s 
nose  soon  tells  then,  if  their  conjectures  are  ri-ht,  and  thev  follow  hinil 

h.s  nose  hi.uh  in  the  wind  on  his  aerial  trail-until  his  frantic  Uv in- 

Mt  the  harn.-ss  line  by  which  he  is  held  (forthe  well-trained  InnuiTdo" 
never  barks  in  the  presence  of  <.„».<.)  shows  then,  to  be  n.-ar  by      Then 
one  of  the  pa.'ty  |.<,|<ls  the  <|oo'  and  the  other  with  his  weapons  crawls 
cautiously  b.rwa.d  <.n  his  unseen  victin.s.     Tf  the  fo- is  verv  thick   they 
can  often  -ct  within  a  few  yanis  by  ln,-o.i„o.  the  u,,>„„d  closelv  while 
crawl.no-.     Dnrino-  the  tinie  s,.ow  is  o.i  the  o,,H:nd  thev  n.av  take  sev- 
eral (k,-s,  a.Kl.  aft<-r  bein.o.  s-i.-cessful  in  the  chase,  utilize  theui  to  d.^ao- 
m  the  carcasses.     This  is   o.ily  done,   howev.M'.  wl.e.v  the  skins  liave 
l).r(>.ue  useless.      Then  the  bi.tcl.e.vd  deer  is  put  into   the  hide  and  it  is 
use.l  as  a,  sh-do,.     The  ..atives  claini  that  a  doo-  will  scent  a  reindeer 
""'••I'  fiirth.'r  i.i  a  fo-   if  it  be  a  d.-iftin-  one.  than  under  anv  other  cir- 
cumstances,    rt  is  nor  uni'easonable  to  infer  that  the  scent  will  not  be  so 
<liirused  in  such  a  dense  m,  diu.u  as  an  A.ctic  fon-and  tlierefore  be  more 
•■••ncent.'ated  at  oTe.'te,'  dista..ces,  yet  I  have  hear.l  o,,o,l  hunters  in  o.ir 
r-,uimi  claim  that  a  i,.-  <'on.plete|y  kills  a  scent.     A  well-trained  Innuit 
(h.U-.  with   -ood    keen  s,v..t.  will   often  <lcte,.t  the  p.vsence  of  n,,me  at  a, 
•■->uple  of  miles  distant.     The  o-reatest  t.oublc  is  to  keep  the  do-  ofr  the 
s.vntof  ev.TV  rabbit   or  .'abbit-trail  that  he  ccounters.  and  which  he 
seems  more  pi'onc  p.  follow  tl.a.i  that  of  i  he  u-ame  d.'sired. 

On  .\u,o-„st  S.  while  encamped  in  Ter.o.'  Bay,  and  prosecntin-  our 


m^ 


"11 


I   I 


f 


II 


XIMliOD    IX    THE    NORTH. 


SHHirli  for  traces  of  SirJolm  Fraiikl 


(•licuni.stiiiices  i)r()l)al)Iy  woi-tli  reljit 


ill's  party,  Ikill.^l  a  hv^  buck  uiid 


»M' 


h 


■oin  a   fatii-iii 


iig  (•ontiiiuoiis  walk  of  \\\ 


iiig.     While  sitting'  (louii,  restiiiu' 


MTomid  near  the  .seashore.  1  noticed  the  reiiid 


e  ()!•  six  luih's  over  tlie  1 


)OonV 


iiie,  l)eiii<.-  then  ahout  six  liundred  yard 


eer  grazing  rapidly  towjiid 


'  '^  '"""  """""  ^'-^  iiiMKired  yards  away.     J  sinii)ly 

o  a  liorizontal  i»osition  behind  the  boulder  onwhich  I  had 


way.     J  sinii)ly.slii.i)ed  d 


and  converted  myself  int( 


own 


been  I'estint! 


)  an  immovable  Micawber.     'i'he  leind 


eating  ahmg,  and  when  about  two  hundred  yard 

a  patch  of  clover,  liguratively  speaking,  foi'duriuiitl 


eer  came 


never  left  a  Jittle  si)ot.  wlieiv  he  k 


s  away,  evidently  struck 
lenext  half-liourhe 


until  my  patience 


was  exhausted,     llis  sk 


licpt  grazing  backward  and  forwai-d 


dun-colored  nuws  against  which  he 

Avas  -endon,"  so  that  his  white  thinks  outlined  1 

at  his  head,  as  he  was 

shock  biought  iiim   d 


Km  was  the  exact  color  of  tla 
was  thrown,  and  Avaiting  until  1 


lis  iigure.  I  took  a 


le 
im 


effectual  shot,  until  I 

ceived  m<',  and  with 

any  soit  of  aim,  started  foi-  tl 

liumble  servant  brin 


iTazing.  iiied,  and  hit  him  in  the  liind  foot .'     Tin 

own  (m  his  hams,  and  I  thought  I  ha<l  made  an 

got  within  about  thirty  yards,  when  he  lirst  j.e,- 

a   wild  suoit.  and  an  uncertain  gait  that  dehVd 


le  sea-coast,   about  a  mil 


•  '  ana  v.  \-our 


,UHig  up  the  rear  as  last  as  i)ossible.     I  v;xn  ] 


out   on   a   long  ])oint   of  land,  and   thought   surely  T  | 
its  west  side  the  jiack  ice  had  1 


lad 


liim. 


bly  t 


wenty  or  thirty  yards  wide.  ))eing  held 


)een  caiTied  by  the  wind  and 


iini 
On 


was  prob; 


going  tide.     Seeing  himself  '-ut  off  from  the  hind 
a])proach.  he  struggled  and  i)lunge(l  against  the  cal 
broken  foot 


somewhat  open  by  th,.  out- 
side, and  my  ra])id 
kes  of  ice.  with  his 


su-ingmg  in  the  air.  until  he  reachd  i,s  boi.udarv.  when  I, 


took  to  the  water.     IIis])i 


•Ogl'css  over  the  disjointed  pack  w 


slow,  and  by  tlie  time  lie  had  plunged  into  tl 

nearest  him,  and  from  there  sent  a  bullet  throuoh  his  I 

him  out  tioatiiiii'. 


i>  paiurulh- 


K'watei',  I  was  on  the  hind 
•fain  that  laid 


Now,  T 


was  in  a  quandary !     Tie  was  1 


furthest  outlvino-  cake  of 


iiig  matters. 


Yet 


ice.  and   the  tide  settiliii'  out  w 


)eyond   my  ivach    fjom    th 


IS  not  ini])rov- 


sui)plywas  needed,  as  Toolooah 


meat  was  not  ])lentiful  in  camp,  and   further,  a  lai- 


wa 


on  a  tiij.  that  I  had  ordered  ] 


s  soou   to   leave    us    foi'  i 


Vio  weeks 


looked  like  velvet,  as  tl 


lini   to   take  :   besides,  the    bucl 


le  ripi.les  of  salt  water  brol 


K  s   coat 
ke  ovei-  it.     In  shoit. 


W''^' 


TJf/'J    niFLK    AND    THE    REINDEE 


R. 


n 


re  WHS  only  one  method  ol" 


I  did  not  want  to  lose  tluit  deer  -uid  tli.- 

,  .  '^I'^t.i,  ami  ineiu  »>ii:s  ujuvone  method   oC 

bet«,.e„  ,J,e  .oe.„ake»,  „.  1  de«,u,l  ,l,i.s  n.ed.ocl  ]«.,,,  li„l,le  ,„  i,..„du,v 
cm„u«  than  .,,„„i,i„.  i„  ,,,,„  „,„  ,„„|,^^^  ^ 

know  the  c  e„ri,   „,„„«,.  it  „„,,-  .,e«„„,  t„  b.  about  five  fee  .     Kea,    ' 
»c,e„ce  „,11    tell   ,„u  that  oeea.t  ,vater  is  about  two   .le.,,.es  e,  1   e,' 


WADIXO   FOR  A  BEAD  DEER. 

than  fresh  water  when  ],otli  nre  holdin,-  floating  ioe.  or  two  deo-rees 
colde,.  than  theice-waterof  yon r  water-cooler,  and  other  w.tev  .^Ip 
t=.H.s  ;  m  short.  ie..l  sea  wnter  is  two  decrees  eold.r  tlian  fr.e.in'- 
The  hrst^  few  steps  made  n,e  .^-nsp  fo,-  breath,  and  hy  the  time  T  w.  ,  up 
to  n.y  n.nhl  e  n,v  teeth  had  settled  down  to  a  reo-nlar  drnm-like  rntth 
I  persevered,  however,  keeping-  n.y  hands  npcm  the  nearest  ice  in  (..s.  T 


i 

i 


m 


'■! 

! 

■ 

\ 

1 

if 


n 


NIMROD    IM    THE    XOlnil. 


lie  ^ouh  1  „l,..      \\  |,e„  1  ,.em.he,l  o,„.  „|-  ,) ,•,  |,„,,„_  ,  „„, 

,"r;"-"";"V" ": *"•  ■''"'■  "'""*'  •'""»"'•'"■■' "- " •">  >  . 

'7";"'""'  7    ™»  ' ^"--iHms  n,U,.n  ,l„.  ,,,„!,.,.  „.  p.. n,s..    , 

.■   Kn  ,  I  i.ut  „„  ,,  1  „,v,.|o,l„..s  „,.,i„,  „o,k,..l  lik, ,,|„.,.  ,:,„„„„ 

"1  .1.H  <l..,.,-.  slung  l,i»  (ift.v.,,„un,l  !,„n,s  ,„..,.  ,„y  .I,,,,,!,!.,..  >™lk.,l    „ 
»"i-  ...to  .■...,,„,   «v„„,nv«l  a  „,„„,  ,„•  „o,    ,,,i„„„e,.  .„  „  ,  " 

;:;::,",'.';  '.::•/'"";"  ■■": '"" """  '"■'■"""■" ' "- "'"  ^  """"■■■'' "-- 

icind.-i-i.  and  „,.h  iviiulew  u„itli  u  tli„i,sancl  <lolla.>i' 

,,    ."'"   !'"'   " '>■  '''«"■"■'«  "f   «»'"■!"•■   -.,vs  ,.ne  ,v,i„..,    ••  „!,.,.. 

■yn.gs.  I,,,.  ,„■„,.  „„,1  s,„inj;...„„s  ,„„  I |,|,,i..,|.  „,„  ,„„i^.,.^  . 

7''   '"'■.'■'""";  "'"  '■'!-■".«  "Hdllin,.,.r  ,l,is  .,„|,.ss„„h ;  ,.„M 

"!"■..  l.i-..»,  wl„.,,.  ,i,..s«  ,.„n„.iv„„,,....  ,v,.,„,|   fail,  ,„a„v  ,.,|„.    n     , 

'".'""""■     1  a.s.  i„.i,le  g„  „„t  i„  |„„,,i,,  ,•„,  „„.  , 

.vin.U.er,  and  ,vl,™  th.y  l„.,,.,.hc  a  l,.,,l.   ,h.v  s,a,i,.  ,  .,..,„.,,: 
«nd,.e..  w,d,.K  ,„..,  ,.,,„,.  „,„,  „„.n,  „n  an  e,.va'„,l  ,„ain  ,.,  „      r 

ri.en  iron,  ,l„s  ,,Ia,,.  ,.,  as  n.ar  ,1,.  sava«,.  I„.,,l  a.s  ,l,.v  ,:n  v,.„,m        i 
'■""',';  ".""""^  ™"'»  "-■  'l-.v  „u,  into  „,„  sn,;„.  ,     .s  " 

..'>«nt  f,v.Iy  „„u  tin.  wind.     This  l.-ing  d.„„.,  ,h,,v  „lan,  sindlar  sriH  s 
anap„,,,,nson,U,.,,,h,.,.sid,..  nnd.,-  ,„.  wind  .  and  ,1,..  ,,an,l,,.,- ..in.,- 
msj  w,tl,  tl,e„.  „as,„,.e  beneath  the  sn„„,  and  Leing  ehielh  ..,,i,|,.d  ul 
the,.,  seent  generally  „„se,.ve  nothing  „l'  these  ptepandi^ns.     ^V 
very  th,ng,s,.e„dy.  the  hnntetssepan  ,e  :  s„„,e  hide  the.nselves  l,el 
i>e"sn,nvy,„t,.en,.hn,ents,  while,,,  hers  I i,hl„.„sa„ ,erwe,„„,n 

■■  "  "''™"";',^  '■*""•■•  ""^  '''"""•  •-'- '  'i,e  ,„rn,ie  pinions,    s.ared  I,; 

he.se,  the  w,l.l  reind r reetly  to  ,l,e  , „,„,,,,  .„,„  Jj 

;"f  "•;•!'-*■ 'l.--  '-  I--I-.V Iarn,ed  „y  „ „neea   .      ,  i     ! ' 

"'"'  T  '.'"■'"  •'!-"■■'  "'""■  '•-•"l«".ions  wh e  Inrnished  „i,|,  „  n  s' 

and  ,I,e.se  nutned.ately  cu.un.it  terriUe  shu.ghter  a,u,„g  then,  i 


f'1 


THE  itii-u:  Axi)   rim  ueixdeeu.  „ 

Iu.l>I.«.«,lu.,.  „,„•„,..  ,,..,,1  „,,.  r,..,lf„,.  „,„,„,  „„„nm,i„,  the  Inmt,.,. 

"No.  "HI.  tl,..  s„„„.  lnj,l„r„l  i,i„i„„»,  a  b,,„,a  1...S,,,..  ,o«r,l  it  i,„„ 

-I.M-I.  .....y  ,  Hv..  the  ,.„„e.    As  so,,,.  a.s  they  co„„.  i,„„  this  „,  h       . 

y„„,en  «„  „.„h  „.ei,.  „„,,tes  „i..eo,ly  „e,„ss  ,„e  f  ...ther  e,.,l  J  i       ,, 

t  .«■  the  re„„h...,.  i„  -.  th..se  i„„„e,,i„tely  ,.„„  „,„„„a  the  ,uo„„tui  ,      ,  I 

at  every  till-,,  are  fimX  at  l,v  the  liiiate.'s  " 

The  rei„,leer  of  King  ^Vill,a„,•s  I.,,,.,,  „„  ,„,;,  ,„„,,„^,.„  ,„,.„„, 
.■■■.-  ov«.  S„,,,,s„„'s  S,n,i,s  f,.„„,  the  s.„„h  al„,„t  ,,,„„,  o,?,  ; 

'"■  .,.-e  the  „,.  ,„,,aks  „„.  A,,„„t  the  n.i.Mleof  Se„te„,be,,  thewin  ,• 
eohl  ,,,„„„«  on  ,l..ives  them  t„  the  s„„th  ag„i„,  aa,l  they  „„«,.ega  J  . 
Its  s„„the,.„  part  l,ef,„.e  the  straits  have  frozen  ove,-.  ^hich  is  olten  • 
weeic  „,.  ten  days  afte,.  thei,.  an-ival.  I  have  sai,l  that  the  rein,  ee,'  vii' 
s>v„n  ..V  ,h,„,  that  ,.o,nes  in  his  .ay.  an.l  the  fact  that  J.e  waits  f 

he  «.  ,1  ,..,.  „  l,„.n,  .,el„,.e  ,a„s.i„.  these  straits  w„a1„  appear  to  refnt 

,;  .Oh';;:  "",■  ™-  ":™ ''" «"'  ^•'""  ■^■'""  "'■-  '--*  '^"»  "■■•■» 

.  e     o,     Inash.    as  ,t  ,s  van„„sly  ,.a|,e,l,  „  l,i,.h  is  „„,  „„iike  a  toot  ,„• 
t»o  , ,  loose  sa„„.  thrown  into  i,.e-wat,.r.     It  ,loes  not  ,ne]t,  an.l  is  snffl 
ent  y  tena,.,o„s  to  i.ape,,..  ,„„  hea.iway  „t  a  sailing  ship     This  Z. 
ti ,  »  ,„vs  an,.  ,sla,,,ls,  ,„.if,i„„  ,„,„,,„  ;„  ,.,„„„^,  „..  _,,^  "^ 

a  1  ,   i,at,an  „.e-pa,.k.    shoahl  a  rei„,,eer  trnst  hin.selt  to  swim  thron  1 
,  he  won  ,1  „e  so  nnpe,l,.,,  an,,  harasse,!  as  to  fall  an  easy  prey  to   he 
nnn,tswho  ,.o„gregate  thereahoats  at  that  tin,e.     An,l  fh  s  fact      e 
r,.in,h'er  know  by  some  soit  of  instia,'t 

To  this  part  of  the  islan.l  w..  <,,„,e  i„  „r<,er  to  lay  in  a  snpph-  of 
™t,  ,■  c.th„,g  an,l  be,.,ling  for  ,a,r  n,i,..winter  retnrn  trip  to  ,1,  Ism" 

t  : ;;  r  r"""- ""- ■■ ' ^■""■'-i-'- ^.  ^m. mi ,.« whi 

,  1. .,.  look-oat  was  ,.ons„.uct,.,l  to  wat,.h  for  the  animals.     On  the  -.Jth 

Sep..mb,.ra  ,.o,„  snap  , r.y  ,.o„,plete„  the  f,.e,.i„«  over  of  Sin.p. 

'  "  ;""■*■  •■""    "'■■  "-'  -'"X  »"  '""v,!  aboa,  a  n.Ile,  n,,,r  a 

:r,::t:™''v'"':r'"'':''"-^'""''""''«' n,,.-,.eingo„;n,ont 

.m.Une  ,1,    s  ,,,rl,er  than  the  ,.oa,n,..n,.en„.nt  of  ■  i,.,oo  life  in  .North 

lu.  son  s  May.  The  hill  was  no  loag..  ,, ,,.,,  ,„  „„  ,„„,,„^  forreim    e 

tor  th,.se  aa,a,als  ha.l  be.ane  so  nn.nerous,  as  the  ,.ol,l  weathersettle,i 


i'f 


M- 


\f 


y 


Ij!)' 


THE    RIFLE    AND    THE    REINDEER. 

down  upon  us,  tliat  any  desired  niinil)er  could  be 
whatever,  t'le  valleys  almost 


nmiiy  y;irds  of  our  little  house  of 


within 

onddays  of  the  next  iiionfh  (October)  tl 
On  the  ;5d  the  ice  w 
the  lirst  hnrd  w 


seen  from  any  stjition 
«  well  as  the  top  of  the  hills/   On  the 

passed 


last  day  of  the  month  I  felt  sure  that  at  least  a  thousand  reindeer 
within  iis  nian\-  viirds  of  dill- ii'ffK.iw. at  .  ,      . 


ice,  and  on  the  lirst  and 


IS  just  thick  eiiouoh  to  l)ear  tl 


sec- 

ess. 


H'ui  ou  the  strait,  and 


')  the  number  was  certaiidv  no  1 


s  M'eii  to  (TOSS  on  Tiiat  (lay.  and  ))v  the  7tl 


swarms  had  departed  southward.   1 


I  the  vast 


herds  to  bear  us  comi)any.     On  the  3()th  tl 


cavuiii'  oidy  a  vei_\  \v\\  sti'au"! 


iim 


six  killed,  'Poolooah  scorinn-  twel 


le  total  scoi'e  showed  tweut^ 


ig 


self  oidy  from  the  fact  tliat  it 


ve.  a  nuiuber  to  which  he  limited  1 


otherwise  dispose  of  in  his  stone 


was  the  maximuui  1 


iim- 


K'  could  butcher  and 


1  l>oj)u]ous  but  dilai)idated  cem(4erv.     Vvith 


neiuhboi'hood  look  like 

this  w  holcsale  slau.iihlei'  of  tl 

scaveusivi's  of  the  Arctic— the  i 

Xetschilluk    luuuits.   the  hist   named  l)ein<.'  the 


•"(■h(s,  which  were  now  mak 


ini'-  the 


le  reindeer  came  all  the  kiu)wn 
oxes,  the  W(>lves,  the  avoI 


carnivoi'ou? 


tl'oublesouie  of  the  whole  lot.      We  put  them  to  work 


verines  and  the 
most  nuniei'ous  and 


Iv  scraping-  reindeer 


skins  and  makin-  our  winter  skin-clot hii.o.  :,nd  beddino,  .,„a  thus  .^x 
tracted  s(m,e  small  compensathm  for  the  vast  (piantities  of  .„eat  that 
<lisapp..ared  down  their  capacious  throats.  The  NetschiHuks  s.v  that 
in  about  a  week  or  ten  days  after  t  he  Ki,...;  AVilliam's  Land  rein.lee'r  have 
(Tossed  over,  anoth.^.  Inrav  batch  of  stra-Hn,,-  herds  put  in  their  ap- 

lis  Avas  not  obsei'ved 


l)earance(m  their  southern  miuTation,  althoim-h  tl 
by  us  in  the  early  winter  of  "T!>  whih 


show  them  iM  be  the  reindeer  of  Hoothia,  and  Xortl 
been  thus  declined   bv  the   latei-   f 


v.e  were  there.     If  so,  ii 


would 


1  Somerset,  that  hav 


much  wider  sti'ait  tl 


I'eezin.ii- of  James    \{ 


lan  Simi)soirs.  althoui-h  ll 


oss's  Channel— a 


l>iiss..d  on  to  th<'  mainland  by  the  P.oothia   IsH 


K-se  animals  could  have 
niiiis.     Durin-i'  the  time 


these  tortuous  ehannels.  sepnratinu' the  many  islands  of  the  1 
I'<"Ian'o.  iuv  frozen  over.  I  know  tli   t  the  reind. " 


airy  Aichi- 


ishind  to  another;  but  1  do  not  bel 


'I'l'  cross  freelv  from  on 


locality  of  their  trails,  that  tl 


K've.  I'easoniiiu-  fi'oni  tl 


le  we 


isUown 


in  full  si-hf  ;  that  is  thev  h 


loy  (>vei' cross   uidess   the  desired   land   ll 


in  returniuij:  thev  faketh 


;ive  no  better  instinct  than  their  eves.    > 


\'cn 


ways  to  reach   their  norti 


c  most  round-about,  as  well  as  tl 


K'rn  .uTazin.n-  .u-rounds,  and  i 


le  most  direct, 
i    !S   not    ;it    !ill 


'i 


II 


1 


THE   IJKrXDKKU 


II 


THE    RIFLE    AND    THE    REINDEER.  gl 

unlikely  tliut  a  reindeer  horn  in  JSootliiu  may  graze  d.irinx,  his  seoond 
snnnner  on  K,ng  Wi,H,.n  Lan^',  during  his  third  on  J3aring  Island 
nndsoon      Jhis  is  proven  by  the  testimony  of  the  natives  of  these 
regH>ns,  who  say  that  there  is  a  great  disparity  in  the  nun,l,ers  that 
visit  them  in  diiferent  years,  aiul  whose  northward  emigrations  are 
determined,  no  donl,t,  by  some  protracted  storm,  either  for<.ing  them 
into,  or  <lri ying  then,  from,  a  locality  according  to  its  direction,  force  and 
duration.     I  he  Innnits  told  me  that  the  3-eindeer  graze  with  the  wind 
in  their  traveling,  but  Ihave  so  often  seen  them  feeding  directh  against 
1  ,_as  well  as  at  angles  in  regard  to  it.  tiiat  I  am  inclined  t.  think  that 
this  cannot  be  put  down  as  an  invariabl,  mle.    I  think  it  probable  that 
when  the  seas<ms  have  determined  their  boreal  <,r  austral  ttugrations, 
the  wind  has  but  little  eifec-t,  except  ;o  deviate  then,  through  sn.ali 
angles,  as  already  explab.ed  ;  but  wl.e.nhese  travelings  have  ceased, 
he  vv,n.l,  .f  uncomfortable  IVon.  da.,.p  r.  ehillb.ess,  n.av  infhience  thei^ 
.....1   m,g,.at.ons  so  as  to  n.ake  them  obey  this  law-:if  it  be  one,  as 
they  ciaini.  ' 

AVe  sta.-ted  on  ou.>  ,vf  u.'n  jourm.y  on  the  Sth  of  Xovember,  and  did 
^  see  any  ..em.leer  (we  had  ,.ot  see,,  any  .b.ee  October  7,  until  the 
Uth  of  Decembe.-.  an  interval  of  sixty-six  days.  The,,  we  saw  two 
t^mt  ,m.  the,r  fat.  under  s,.cl.  peculiar  cbv-nnstances  that  I  must  re..,..d 

:        ;.  Tl/'"'  ''''"^  ''"'  f>""^'^'-"^  Hapids  at  the  n.outh  of  Back's 
W   t.sh  1  .ve...  ui.en  tlM  natives  of  tl.e  advance  sledge  of  the  three 
lepo,-ted   /.././..  nvindeer>   in    .ig„n   ,„,    ,,„   ,„„„    ,,,   ^^^.,,  ^„,,^,^,^^ 
<i>o.ita,nile  away,  tn>,ting  leisu.vly  fn.n,  ,,s  alon,-  the  west  bank  of 
t  '-  nve...     IMore  us  uas  .   hn'ge  ishn.d  in  ,he  rive...  and  as  it  was  evi- 
''•■'""""  n.eb-n.oven.ents  would  s,M,n  bring  then,  behind  it.  Toolooah 
|-='nI.kean.ce-h,H-set,,  ..achi,sru,lhere,.u   to  cut  th^.n  oil',  hiding 
Inmsel     benin.l   ,ts  shelre,h,g  banks  opposite    U.  the  dee...  son.e  of  th. 
'•••"■'•  '';-.<■  s  b.Uov,,:     di,.ectlyonthet,.a;land  sfindng  then.selves 
;"''>'A^^  fh..    .sh.nd.       A  hen   the  siedges   .vached    the   m-a.vr  end    of   the 
jsh...d,  wl.n.h  w...:  about  a  ,nih.  a,.d  a  half  in  length,  thev  we.v  stopped 
"'•^v'-r  the.vsuh.      ;;a,-dlyh;.d   theyco.netoahaltwi.euashotw..s 
'"'"■"    '■"'""  '''•••><"='l'.  ■•'Md  w..  all  anxiously  waited  to  hear  the  secmd 
<^''mo.v.  or  see  Jh.  other  dee.-.  a,.d  if  i,  uould  .'un  lowa.-d  a,.vof  the 


!»M 


»J^I 


'S  ■' 


If 


I  kl 


I  ' 


is:h\ 


i  »t 
I* 

V  If 


8*  NIMROD    IN    THE    NORTH. 

many  liunters,  for  you  may  rest  assured  we  were  eager  to  get  both   so 
long  had  we  been  without  fresli  venison  ;  but  notJiing  w;  s  seen  of  it 
although  it  seemed  impossible  for  it  to  get  away  without  again  coming 
m  view.     The  whole  matter  was  soon  exph.ined  bv  Toolooah,  who  came 
m  to  get  the  dogs,  and  reported  that  lie  had  killed  both  at  one  shot 
This  had  been  done  twelve  other  times  by  Toolooah,  and  each  time 
was  voted  strange  enough  ;  but  wlien  we  had  been  absent  from  this  kind 
of  game  for  over  two  months  to  then  stumble  on  a  couple  and  anni- 
hilate them  at  a  single  discharge  seemed  almost  too  wondei-f  id  to  believe 
I  have  said  that  Toolooah  had  done  this  wonderful  feat  a   number 
of  times,  and  I  do  not  wish  to  l,e  misunderstood.     I  do  not  mean  to 
say  that  he  killed  one  and  wounded  another  so  that  it  was  afterwards 
captured:   but  that  these  killings   were  direct,   so   tliat  no  further 
shooting  was  necessary.     Once  he  killed   three,  and  the  number  of 
times  he  had  at  one  shot  killed  one  and  wounded  another,  so  that  it 
coidd  afterwards  be  slain,  was  not  recorded. 

On  January  2,  with  the  theruionieter  at  minus  08°  F.,  Toolooah 
killed  two  reindeer,  and  the  next  day  brought  tliem  into  cauip,  the 
thermometer  then  showing  minus  71°,  the  coldest  weather  recorded  on 
the  trip.  I  note  this  to  show  that  American  ai'ms.  pi-oi)erly  cared  for, 
will  work  at  any  temperature.  At  minus  71°-or  l(i;5  below  the  Ireez- 
ing  point-every  thing  a-  p  becomes  enveloi^ed  in  a  mist  that  will 
soon  c.mcenl  them,  if  th  ..  ,  to  rest,  from  a  ]HTson  at  a  distance ; 
but  this  vpvy  sign  make.  ir  whereabouts  doubly  certain.     Herds 

of  reindeer  and  musk-oxen  can  b.'  distinguishe.l  by  this  UK-ans 
at  a  distance  of  live  or  six  miles,  and  at  veiy  favor!ibl(>  heights  at  iwo 
or  three  times  that  distance.  The  native  hunters  claim  that  even  iit 
these  extreme  distances,  they  can  tnll  the  difference  between  the  kinds 
of  animnls  by  some  varying  peculiai'ities  of  their  vapors.  Keindeer, 
chased  by  dogs  in  such  a  low  temj.erature,  lo„k  like  so  nuiny  putting 
steam-engines,  "("ormack,  to  whom  we  j,re  indebte.l  for  the  first  reli^ 
able  information  ol'  the  hnbits  of  this  <l,..r"  (meaning  the  woodland 
t'aribou  of  th..  interior  of  Xewfoundlandi,  says  .ludge  Cnton.  in  his 
very  interesting  and  valuable  book  on  the  d,.,.r  ..f  Americ;.,  "tells  us 
that  they  migrate  in  search  of  food   in  singh-  lile.   in  h.Tdsof  from 


THE    lilFLE   AND    THE    REIXDEEIt.  gg 

twenty  to  two  1,„,„1,,.,1  ea.h.  and  so  the  whole  co.mtty  is  cut  „p  in 
evety  .l.reet.on  witlt  their  paths.  We  have  no  account  that  tlte  nortl.ern 
si.e,.,es  (the  re mdeer,  travel  iu  tlm  order,  and  they  assen.ble  in  bands  of 

...  the  A,-ct,c,  I  seldom  saw  ba.nis  or  herds  of  n.ore  than  a  hu,.d.-ed 
although  at  ve,y  rare  intervals  probably  twice  that  nund,er, nay  have 
been  seen  together.  Twenty  to  thirty  would  make  a  good  generous 
average  tor  the  year  round.  Ti„,e  and  tin.e  again  I  have  seen  reindeer 
following  in  single  file  and,  when  migrating  under  the  influence  of  the 
seasons  It  ,s  very  .-are  to  see  them  going  otherwise.  "The  Northera 
specie.,,  says  the  same  authority,  "arc  strictly  migratory,  tmveling 
in  the,,.  m,g,„„<,„,  ,„,„,  ,.„  ^^^^^^  ,,,  ,^_^.^^^^j^_  ^^^  ^_^_^  ^^= 

A,ct,c  Ocean    south,  except  where  conllned  by  physical  barriers,  as 
III  Lahrador.  ' 

Tins  pamgrapli,  and  many  otliers  by  different  writers,  seem  to  show 
that  the  reindeer  migrate  to  the  timber  limit  forsafety  in  winter  This 
IS  not  at  all  true.  I  donbt  if  any  single  reindeer  travels  much  ov«-  three 
hundred  nnes  in  his  migrations,  and  a  large  majority  probably  not 
so  far  Could  the  reindeer  limits  of  Arctic  America  he  represented  by 
a  pond  of  very  shallow  water  and  given  a  sudden  thrust  to //..  .0.,// 
the  water  at  ,ts  maximum  amount  in  that  direction  would  represent  the 
proportional  amount  of  reindeer  in  the  dead  of  an  Arctic  winter     Mv 

I>nriyf<mmlandkill.,lreindeer  in  DecemberneartheDangerous  Rapids 
of  Jiacks  River,  and  they  exist  in  fair-sized  herds  the  whole  winter 
through  between  Wage-r  River  and  Xortli  Hudson's  J^a  v,  never  gettino- 
w.tlnn  three  or  four  humlred  miles  of  the  riniber  limit  which  so  man^ 
authorities  try  to  <.)nvince  one  tiu.t  they  all  must  cross  before  the; 
stop  in  their  southwanl  migrations.     •>  A  large  specimen  may  weigh  on'e 
nindred  and  fifty  pounds,"  savs  Judge  C^aton,  in  another  pari'of  his 
'-k,  ;•  but  the  average  is  much  less.     Ordinarily  the  liunter<.an  easily 
<nv  ,t  on  liis  back,  ami  carry  ittocau.p/'     T  respectfully  beg  to dilfe'r 
^^•tll    Ins  account  of  the  size  of  the  American  Arctic  reindeer.     I  have 
uli^mly  ,uo,..d  Heechey  <.oncerning  fhe  weight  of  one  that  was  actually 
-Mghcl   ^  s.,  pounds  ;  nnd  I  IHi.ve  rhatas  nearas  one  <-an  approxim-ite 
...cl.  weights  by  guesswork  on  the  spot,  that  those  of  Ki  g    V         ^ 


I     I! 


f  ' 


!'   i 


I  l> 


IN  TllK  LA.Vi>  Ol'  Tin:  M'OODLAXU   i:i:iM)j:j.;i{. 


il 

i 

•I 

I 


THE    RIFLE    AND    THE    REINDEER. 


85 

Land  would  averime  as  miicli  •!«  fli.if      [  i  .• 

.     ,  .,  '''^  "m(  n  .IS  tJiat.     i  liavt- olh^n  seen  a  buck  tli-.t  if 

li.e  .-,le,l«e.     Of  ov«-  a  tl.onsan.l  .MmlHer  tliut  I  l,„ve  s,,,,  kill'  1    r 
neve,.  «,«■.,„„  „,,„„,  ,„.„„  ,„^  .,„„„„,.,„„,  ,„,,„gu;;       ,  ''• 

r  I.  a  heen  ,v„lk,nK  I--  live  ,„o„tl,s  Lefore  tl.is  ,„.,.„..,v,l      I„  „ene 
."1,1  ,„  u  rough,  ai,i,n,xi,„Mte  ivav,  I  «„„l.l  v,v  llnf  , ,         ^T       ' 

».i.M,.i„ex,.. „r  „. „i„„.„„:,  aee  ':;i::  L  :™;  r: 

S.I.V  in  g,.m.n,l.  i„  lo„ki,isa,  ,1,..,.  ,|mwi,„'.  ,i,.,t  ,l,..v- ,1, 

""■"":;=" '-""'- ' ■■^^-"'-*^' '-- »:;;.:, :,:..;;;.;: 

..«.  o,  ,    ,.  ,.™„lee,..     A„o,„„,,„i,„  ,.,a,,n,.«.,he  ,,.,,.1.,,       '  ,, 

Ins    o„lj.„n„  ,,„  i.  ,„„„„  „„,,„,„„„„„..  ,„„,„,.„,  .,j; 
n,  n,„l      ,W,.|u.,v  I,as  .sp„k..„  ,„■  ,„is  r,-ai,  i„  ,1,,,,.  .lispo.ti,,,,  :„„|  I 
-l-eve  T  have  ,o,„.h,,,   „po„  i,.  ,„„,  „,  .,oin«„o  a«„i„,  ,  „uhl  , vi         . 

'  ;  ':■  "  ■  ■■"•'''"'"  """'--' I  .•on.T,.,a.ing.  in  hMx-.'l ,|„  „,„,  ,,  J 

..•.e,„ly  .„„„„  to  tnake  ,h„i, t,„,.  not  v,.,,-  .,ifli,.„,t.  l,,,,'       ' ,  i, 

'.'■'■^  ''''■':7™ '""'•""' ''■--">-■...!"  i"  M,e  two  sp,.,.i,.  a.  ,l,,.i,., 
■   "^ •■""•^-  "  "•  <■— -  i"<— .     I.  .se..n,s  anfottnnat  , 

:''  "'"""  '■'■-'■■>■  1«'«-  i'-^  ' "  .".   np  ,vi,h  ,.vi,|,.ntlv  J   , 

<'<."s,.„.„„o„s,.n.h,,vo,.,. ,ai, V  ,|„.  ,n,th-  vet  I  f.   i  th  , 

"" ■^"■"«  "■'  ""^  «l-ia.  ..an,..  ,sho,.hl   not  ,,0  Is,         ,•       .,    '    ,    "™; 

■;;■■;;;;  "■"-  ';H;..,e,.n,.,„  miet,  „i,„  ,„i,, ,,.  „„,,  „„, '    , 

"  '.'       ''";■,  '^">-    ■ ■""■>•   .'«.'.V    if    «e    fook    lid,,     .s ,,..    ,„„l    «e 

:i<.|.o,.a,ni'lv  off  all  , ,„..,,..  .„..,i. -.,.,    ,.      .  I,-    .  ,,,,0  «H 


lil,.  I,..„vy  SI,, If  will.   III, 


I,.  Hi  oi.,|,.|.  I,,  j,,.|  thi'LiiM, 


Mil 


M: 


m 


86 


NIMROD    IN    THE    NORTH. 


i 

\ 

1 

1 

and  purclmsed  two-clays'  reiiuleer  meat  of  \nm  to  complete  the  journey 
for  none  could  he  found  on  the  way,  lie  said.     Our  three  days  length- 
ened into  live,  and  a  terribly  storn.y  day  on  the  lifth  saw  us  not  "yet 
there,  out  of  meat,  and  with  no  signs  of  reindeer  in  the  country      Five 
hunters  sallied  forth  in  the  storm,  but  socm  returned,  saying  it  was  folly 
to  hunt  in  such  weather  and  with  such  prospects.     At  dark  Toolooaii 
came  m.     TTe  had  found  the  tracks  of  three  deer,  five  or  six  miles  south 
of  our  camp,  and  followed  them  in  a  circle  which  brought  him  due  north 
ot  our  Igloos.     He  there  overtook  and  killed  them  all.     He  had  followed 
their  tmil  the  whole  distance,   some  eighteen  or  twenty  miles,  at  a  fair 
run       Of  su,.h  stuff  was  my  best  liunter  made,  who  that  day  closed  his 
tot^   score  l^,r  the  sledge  journey  at  2^0  reindeer,  out  of  a  grand  total 
of  m  killed  by  all  the  members  of  the  expedition,  which  lasted  nearly 
a  year. 

There  was  a  time,  in  prc-hi.storic  years,  when  the  reindeer  was  the 
princi].a]  game  of  savage  man.  So  important,  indeed,  was  he  deemed 
that  one  sub-division  of  that  time  was  called  -  the  reindeer  period-'' 
and  where  the  grape  and  „live  now  grow  he  was  hunted  and  killed  by 
the  rude  weapons  of  ancient  man,  his  bones  being  shaped  into  rude 
implements,  and  sometinies  used,  instead  of  modern  drawing-paper 
for  the  hrst  artistic  efforts  of  the  world.  ^  ^   i-     ^ 


I 


CHAPTER   IV 


THE  MUSK-OX. 


WiiEX  I  first  aiTived  at 
in  Northern  Hudson's  B. 


my  canii) 
IV,  in  the 


fall  of  1878,  the  sum  total  of 


my 


MrsK-ox. 


knowledge  about  these  jjufiuiu  oi 
the  boreal  zone  was  a  little  mixed, 
probably  equal  to  that  of  the  aver- 
Jige  sportsnum  of  the  temperate 
climes,  who  looks  on  them  as  a 
half-fabulous  sort  of  animal  that 
may  have  existed  iu  the  past  when 
nature    was    pj-oducing    saurians, 


,,  ,     .  "....viiv.    ,,ao    iuuiiucini!:    saurians 

.nammoths  n„a  nnscllaneous  monster...  but  tl.at  had  !„„,■  rfnee  I  Jo  e 
«x„nct.  or  been  crowaecl  into  some  oda  corner  of  tl,e  earth,  wl.ere  lived 
so  many  wonderful  things  that  to  write  abont  then,  at  all  was  to  th  ow 
<lonl.t  or  uncertainty  on  one's  trustworthiness 

All  wnv«.ins  .loubts  were  dispelled  that  autumn  when  several  of  the 
robes  were  brought  n,e  to  exchange  for  powder,  caps  and  b.,1.  bv  the 
nntnerous  hsU.n.o  who  thronuvd around  my  ca.np.    Fron,  thetn  1  le.n,   d 

"'  "  "•",""   ' >■  -l"-"-  J-»"'-r  -va.v,  as  they  travel  in  winter  w 

.loss  an.l  sledges,  to  where  the  musk-oxen  were  to  be  found  and  v 
can  rest  assu.«l  I  planned  for  n.vself  a,  n,usk-ox  hunt  in  the  ne         t 
and  go  mymost  trusty  natives  to  approve  the  ph.n.    The  hardest  .^^ 

f.oM,    l,e  large  throng  who  eagerly  pr..sse,l  for  ,„lmission  to  the  p.rtv 
w  ,.„  ,t  was  hinted  that  the, as  such  ,„.  ...p,.aiti„„  „  ,.„„,,;;:,■ 

*!,'/;    7"^]  """■  ""■"  ''"l"™'i"S""  'l'-l.ase  for  their 

<l.ul,,  food,  the  I.,sk„„o  get  about  as  n.uch  true  spo,tsn,an's  pleasure 


^'     II 


88 


NIMJiOD    IX    THE    NORTH. 


Mi 


ill 


1! 


Ill' 


1 1 
}  1 


out  of  a  hunt  as  any,  and  this  is  of  course  considerable,  for  many  Indians 
go  at  hunting  with  no  more  enthusiasm  tluui  n  butcher  would  feel  in 
shiughtering  a  bullock.     They  may  get  more  game  by  it.  but  they  fail 
in  the  matter  of  sport.     This  is  shown  by  tlie  very  fact  of  their  goin- 
musk-ox  hunting.     The  greater  i.  nion  of  them  spend  a  certain  part  of 
then-  tune  in  the  winter  in  th.s  giving  vent  to  their  feelin-s      The 
annual  winter  musk-ox  chase  with  ch,gs  and  rifles  is  eagerly  looked 
forward  to,  and  is,  for  many  weeks  in  advance  of  its  taking  place  the 
burden  of  their  hunting  conversations  while  housed  in  families  in  their 
little  snow-huts.     It  must  be  wholly  in  the  sport  and  excitement  of  this 
most  annnating  and  stirring  luint  that  they  Jind  their  greatest  reward 
and  compensation,  and  not  in  the  little  meat  secured,  7U)r  yet  in  the 
(to  them)  half  worthless  robes  that  are  obtained  from  these  beasts  as 
tiiese  skins  are  almost  of  no  value,   unless  perchance   they   hapj.en 
to  be  near  some  trading  station  ^the  Hudson's  I3ay  Company  have  never 
established  any  staticm  nearer  to  them  than  a  month's  travel  i,  or  whal- 
ing station,  or  whale-ship  wintering  in  the  ice.     As  to  the  meat   I  have 
never  seen  them  bring  it  back  to  cauip  in  sufficient  quantities  to  pay 
them  for  the  time  they  were  absent ;  n<.r  .lo  they  seem  to  like  it  much 
when  It  IS  secure. I.     In  ftu-t,  when  on  a  trip  solely  for  musk-oxen,  they 
take  along  ample  reindeer  n.eat  for  themselves  and  walrus  meat  foV 
their  dogs,  the  chances  of  finding  nmsk-cattle,  even  in  the  so-called 
musk-ox  country,  being  veiy  uncertain. 

My  proposed  sledge-route  to  King  AVillian,  Land  led  us  fn.m  the 
northermost  waters  of.  Hudson's  Bay  dire<.tly  to  the  nearest  available 
point  on  Back's  Great  Fish  Kiver,  which  .Mupties  into  the  Arctic  Ocean 
just  south  of  the  large  island  called  King  AVilliam  Land,  wh.-re  1  was 
to  carry  on  the  main  object  of  my  expediticm  in  trvino.  i,,  d.-tennine  the 
sad  fate  of  Sir  .b.l.n  Franklin's  party,  which  had  perislied  in  the  iiehdi- 
horhood.     Tliis  route  lay  diivctly  across  country.     The  bulk  of  author- 
ities on  Arctic  sledging,  botli  white  ^ud  native,  bore  strom^ly  against 
overland  sledge-journeys- an  opinion  to  wl,i<-h  they  often  gave"  j.ractical 
Illustration  by  unnecessary  detours  to  folh,w  salt-  ..ater  ice  or  sinuous 
water-courses.     Our  conten.plated  "cannon-l>a]I  "  route,  therefore   had 
never  been  traveled  either  by  white  men  or  natives,  and  the  latter,'  who 


THE    MUSK-OX. 


8» 


fomu'd  au  important  element  of  the  propo..,!  expedition  botli  in  nnn,- 
l>ers  ami  .ervu-es  expe,-,..!.  l.ad  no  hesitation  iu  advising  against  it, 
pre  emngu  detonr  of  son.e  five  or  «ix  luuulred  miles,  which  .oul.; 
enable  tlu.m  to  Wp  on  the  ocean  or  bay  i.-e.  These  nomads  of  the 
north,  as  I  had  occasion  to  lind  ont,  are  lothto  enter  a  totally  unknown 
oonntry  Their  reasons  were  not  of  a  foolishly  superstitions  nature,  as 
I  at  inst  supposed,  but  for  the  more  sensible  excuse  that  thev  knew 
almost  nothing-  of  the  game  of  the  region,  so  they  said.     They 'argued 


MI'SK-OX. 

tliat  musk-oxen  might  possibly  be  fonnd.  .^  they  were  on  the  outskirts 
oi  tl...,rhnnting.grounds.  and  if  I  wouhl  only  prove  to  them  in  some  wav 
that  thoy  were  plentiful,  they  were  willing  to  undertake  the  journev 
and  some  of  the  very  best  hunters  among  them  generouslv  and  enthusi- 
astically placed  their  services  at  n.y  disposal  in  order  to  give  the  nuitter 
a  test.  . 

Accordingly,  with  this  object  in  view,  and  the  no  less  p..tent  one 


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NIMROD    IN    THE    NORTH. 


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that  I  wanted  to  see  the  lay  of  tlie  .ountiy  on  our  propose,]  mute   I 
started  nuth  Toolooah  and  hi.s  Innuly  to  n.ake  a  prelinnnary  reconnais- 
sance as  far  i.s  \\  a^-r  River,  about  a  liundred  miles  to  the  northward 
durrng  December  and  January  of  1878  and  '70,  and  althougli  no  musk- 
oxen  were  actually  seen  and  killed,  we  found  n.ost  abundant  traces  of 
them      A\  e  could  have  killed  numbers  of  them  probablv  had  we  fol- 
lowed up  any  of  the  many  trails  we  crossed,  but  we  both'thon^dit  that 
twenty  or  thirty  miles  of  travel  wotdd  be  better  expended  in  penetrating 
the  country  ahead  of  us  than  wastiwg  it  on  a  musk-ox  chase  ;  and  this 
was  one  of  the  very  few  cases  where  the  tracks  of  an  animal  served  the 
purpose  just  as  well  as  his  presence.     Toolooah  also  argued  that  the 
kilhng  of  any  number  over  a  wide  area  might  drive  them  out  of  the 
country,  and  our  present  sport  compromise  our  ulterior  object-   still 
It  was  with  some  feeling  of  disappointment  that  I  turned  back,  my  very 
.access  giving  rise  to  that  feeling,  and  returned  empty-handed  to  our 
camp  on  Hudson's  Bay.     The  facts  we  had  culled  overcame  the  objec- 
tions of  the  natives  to  such  an  extent  that  enough  of  them  rea(^,ily  con- 
sented to  accompany  us  to  give  me  no  uneasiness  about  native  help 
I  have  told  ma   former  chapter  the  size  of  our  sledging  party  to 
KingA\illiam  Land,  its  arms  and  ammunition,  and   the  fact  that  we 
started  on  that  expedition  from  Xorth  Hudson's  Bay  on  the  first  davof 
April,  1879.  " 

By  the  8th  of  that  monrh  we  were,  according  to  our  best  informed 
natives  in  what  they  termed  the  musk-ox  country-the  localitv  in 
which  they  had  been  accustomed  to  hunt  these  large  monsters  during 
winter  trips  from  the  sea-coast-where  the  natives  I  had  with  me  live 
the  greater  part  of  the  year,  although  the  investigations  of  Toolooah 
and  myselt  had  extended  far  beyond  this  limit. 

We  were  extremely  anxious  "to  ^^.i  some  <,f"  the  long-haired  brutes 
for  then-  huge  carcasses,  c-omi-ared  witli  those  of  tlie  ivindeer,  and  the 
ease  with  which  a  whole  herd  can  bcaptured,  made  tlum,  a  nu.ch  n.ore 
rH.able  source  of  dog-food  for  a  large  canine  force,  and  this  was  an 
important  fact<.r  to  c.onsi.ler,  wit'-  our  three  tean.s  of  forty-two  dogs  to 
oe  ke]it  in  good  condition. 

The  next  day,    the  9th.  while  passing  through  a  series  of  rocky- 


THE    MUSK-OX. 


91 


topped  ridges,  we  came  upon  a  large  trail  of  musk-cattle  in  one  vallev 
probably  a  hundred  yards  in  width,  taking  in  the  extreme  tracks  ;  for 
they  seemed  to  be  quietly  grazing  along.     The  tracks  seemed  tolerably 
ancient,  some  six  or  seven  days  old  at  least,  but  one  of  the  peculiarities 
of  these  animals,   said  my  native  hunters,  is  that  they  will  travel  very 
slowly  when  undisturbed  and  in  a  good  grazing  country,  and  this  same 
large  herd  or  some  portion  of  it,  so  the  Eskimo  believed,  was  not  over 
a  day  s  sledge-journey  away,  if  we  should  want  to  pursue  them.     They 
tried  to  persuade  me,  with  all  the  vehemence  of  savage  logic,  to  remain 
a  day  or  two  in  the  vicinity  and  hunt  them,  but  the  larder  was  still 
too  full    and  the  prospects  for  more  ahead  too  good,  to  warrant  any 
sucli  delay ;  so  we  pushed  on,  leaving  the  musk-ox  trail  and  the  Innuit  s 
hopes  buried  in  the  same  snow. 

From  time  to  time  we  kept  seeing  an  occasional  isolated  track  o? 
stray  wanderers  from  the  main  herds,  but  not  enough  even  to  arouse  the 
natives  from  their  apathy,  until  in  the  afternoon  of  the  13th  of  April 
we  came  upon  the  freshest  trail  we  had  yet  seen  of  those  cold-weather 
cattle,  and  the  largest  too,  for  all  that,  and  I  had  the  hardest  work  ima- 
mable  persuading  the  natives  to  take  up  our  journey  again  without 
follonmg  It  up.     These  Eskimo  seem  to  have  far  more  excitability  in 
the  presence  of  game,  or  its  fresh  sign,  than  any  other  race  of  people  I 
have  ever  encountered,  not  even  exce])ting  the  various  Indian  tribes  of 
our  great  Western  plains  with  whom  my  travels  have  brought  me  in 
f  rcpient  contact.     A  sportsman  would  take  them  to  be  the  veriest  ama- 
teurs if  other  considerations  did  not  make  him  alter  his  opinions  ;  and 
all  this  enthusiasm  reaches  its  maximum  limit  in  the  chase  of  the  musk- 
ox,  as  1  hiive  already  hinted. 

liefo.  we  had  fairly  got  into  can.,)  o.,  the  evening  of  the  22d  of 
the  month-and  by  gofng  into  cau.p  on  an  Arctic  sledue  journey  is 
meant  the  building  of  the  ])ecnliarly  constructed  don.es  of  .sno^  or 
snow-houses,  the  unharnessing  of  the  .logs,  ,f  r.f.ra-n  most  furious 
north-west  gale  of  uind  and  blinding  snow  arose,  which  raged  so  terri- 
bly for  hve  days  that  even  th.  natives  themselves  found  it  d.  ,-idedlv 
prudent  and  unquestionably  con.fortable  not  to  stavoutof  the  snow 
huts  lor  any  considerable  length  of  time,  while  in  th^  dense  whirlpools 


i^ 


■n 


98 


NUmOD    IN    THE    NORTH. 


of  ii\  inn-  snow,  hunting  was  simply  out  of  the  question.  This  enforc-d 
idleness  reduced  our  coniniissary  to  an  ahirniing  extent,  especially  for 
the  dogs,  the  walrus- hide  (or  koio,  in  Eskimo  parlance)  witli  which  we 
had  loaded  our  sledges  on  leaving  Hudson's  Eay,  and  which  is  the 
very  best  of  dog-feed  on  an  extended  journey,  being  novv  completely 
exhausted.  AVe  managed,  howe\er,  to  get  under  way  by  the  28th, 
although  the  fury  of  ^'le  storm  had  not  yet  completely  abated,  and  after 
traveling  nearly  twenty  miles  in  a  north-northwest  direction  we  went 
into  a  picturesque  little  camp  nestling  in  the  high  hills,  tlie  weather 
being  now  much  better,  but  the  state  of  our  hirder  considerably  worse, 
and  the  prospect  in  no  wise  encouraging. 

Shortly  after  halting  and  when  the  snow-houses  were  about  half 
comph;ted,  Ikqueesik,  my  Xetschillik  Eskimo  guide.  mIio  had  absented 
himself  over  the  hills  with  a  spy-glass  prospecting  for  game,  leaving 
others  to  do  his  work  on  his  snow-house,  was  soon  seen  tumbling  down 
the  high  hills  near  by  ;  and  he  came  running  excitedly  into  the  village, 
the  perspirati  'U  in  huge  beads  streaming  down  his  brown,  C\\t\  visage, 
and  with  my  army  signal-telescope,. full  drawn,  under  one  arm.    Amidst 
his  spasmodic  gasps  for  breath,  we  managed  to  make  out  from  him  tliat 
he  had  undoul)tedly  seen  a  herd  of  eight  or  ten  on-mhuj-mting  (nuisk- 
oxen)  from  the  top  of  the  hill,  about  four  or  live  miles  to  the  northward, 
slowly  grazing  along  to  the  westward  on  the  locky  ridge  tops  as  he 
watched  them  thrcnigh  the  telescope,  and  as  perfectly  unaware  of  danger 
as  they  had  a  right  to  be,  considering  it  wjis  the  first  invasion  that  their 
country  had  ever  had  from  any  thing  that  could  do  them  any  harm. 
Every  thing  was  put  aside  and  dropped  just  where  Ikqueesik's  announce- 
ment found  it,  and  then  every  Innuit  man,  woman  and  child  was  soon 
scrambling  up  to  the  highest  pinnacle  of  the  steep  hill  near  by,  while 
half  a  dozen  dirty  and  eager  faces  were  clamoring,  in  a  way  that  would 
have  frightened  the  game  if  it  had  been  near,  to  get  a  look  through 
the  co\'eted  telescope. 

The  presence  of  musk-oxen  wasestablislied  beyond  all  peradventure 
and  we  w^ere  not  long  in  coming  to  the  decision  that  the  next  day  should 
be  devoted  to  securing  as  many  as  possible  of  the  long-haired  monsters, 
Ikqueesik's  discovery  of  them  liaving  beeii  nuule  too  late  to  risk  an 


THE    MUSK-OX. 


93 


attempt  at  an  attack  so  near  niglitfall  and  while  the  dogs  were  so 
exhausted  from  their  h)ng  day's  journey.  Our  dogs,  that  liad  been 
loosen(Ml  from  their  }iarnesses,  were  accordingly  secured  to  the  over- 
turned sledges,  boxes  of  ammunition,  and  every  othtr  piece  of  heavy 
material  that  was  convenient,  to  prevent  them  scampering  after  the 
gj)me (should  they  scent  them  in  the  niglit  from  a  northern  wind),  as 
their  ravenous  appetites  would  undoubtedly  i)rompt  them  to  do.  This 
done,  around  each  animal's  projecting  snout  was  closely  wound  an 
extemporized  muzzle  of  seal  or  walrus-line  thongs,  to  prevent  the  usual 
concert  of  prolonged  howls.  There  is  nothing  more  aggravating  than 
to  find.  Just  about  the  time  the  sledges  are  about  half  loaded  in  the 
morning  and  one  begins  to  look  around  for  the  dogs  to  harness  them 
up,  that  about  half  of  them  are  on  a  fruitless  chase  after  reindeer  or 
some  other  game  that  will  not  come  to  bay  ;  for  they  will  not  give  up 
until  they  are  thoroughly  exhausted,  and  then  come  sneaking  back  to 
camp  comparatively  worthless  for  the  rest  of  the  day.  Their  bowlings 
at  night  are  no  less  unfortunate,  and  if  it  has  been  a  clear,  cold,  moon- 
light one,  when  they  so  delight  in  these  hayings,  you  can  rest  assured 
that  no  game  will  be  seen  the  next  morning  until  tlie  sledge  journey 
has  extended  beyond  hearing  of  their  loud  howls.  That  evening,  with 
every  thing  snug  and  secure  around  us,  all  the  hunters— some  eleven 
in  number— gathered  in  my  igloo,  and  until  latent  night  adventures 
with  musk-oxen  alternated  with  sippings  of  coifee  from  the  huge  stone 
kettle  over  the  little  Innuit  lamp,  for  the  sights  of  that  day  had  been 
ample  to  banish  sleep  until  well  after  the  accustomed  hour. 

Early  the  following  morning  a  disagreeable,  dritting  fog  threatened 
seriously  to  put  an  end  to  our  expected  sport,  and  lose  us  the  more 
tangible  object  of  our  coveted  meat.  A  council  of  the  chase  was  ])rieily 
held,  and  it  was  decided  that  waiting  any  longer  would  probably  do 
more  harm  than  the  risk  of  an  encounter  even  in  a  fog.  and  we  managed 
to  get  away  soon  after  eight  o'clock— having  a  formidable  looking  party 
of  eleven  rities,  and  two  Eskimo  women  with  two  light  sledges  and  all 
the  dogs,  forty-two  in  number.  As  we  were  harnessing  the  dogs  and 
attaching  the  traces  to  the  sledges,  the  great,  thick  baidvs  of  clouds 
seemed  to  bt^  lifting  gradually,  and  our  hopes  of  success  ascended  with 


wm 


94 


XIMJiOD    IN    THE    NORTH. 


them.  Rut  no  sooner  liad  we  started  tlian  tlie  clouds  settled  down  upon 
us  again,  seeniin-ly  damper  and  denser  than  before.  AVhen  a  heavy 
fog  covers  the  ground,  considerable  reliance  for  assistance  may  be 
placed  in  the  dogs'  noses,  if  the  wind  is  right  and  the  game  not  far 
away  ;  otherwise  the  tables  may  be  turned,  and  the  game  escape  by  the 
same  means,  and  it  was  our  sole  object  now  to  regulate  our  course  so  as 
to  avoid,  if  possible,  the  hitter  contingency. 

^  After  some  two  or  three  liours  of  wandering  around  in  the  drifting 
mist,  guiding  our  winding  movements  as  much  as  possible  by  the  direc- 
tion of  the  light  wind,   which  we  had  previously  determined  before 
leaving  camp,  we  suddenly  came  plump  upon  the  tangled  trail,  appar- 
ently not  over  ten  or  lif  teen  minutes  old,  of  some  half-a-dozen  of  these 
animals,  and  great  fears  were  entertained  by  our  old  musk-ox  hunters, 
from  its  jumbled  appearance,  that  the  animals  had  heard,  or  scented  our 
approach,  and  were  now  probably  doing  their  level  best  to  escape  from 
the  country.    A  few  words  of  advice  were  hurriedly  given  in  a  low  voice 
by  those  hunters  who,  from  previous  experience  and  success,  were  at  once 
recognized  as  the  natural  leaders  for  the  chase,  and  in  following  this 
advice  the  sledges  were  immediately  brought  up  to  the  trail  and  stopped, 
and  the  dogs  rapidly  unhitclied  fi'oni  them,  from  one  to  three  and  four- 
even  being  given  to  each  of  the  eleven  men  and  boys  who  were  present, 
who,  taking  the  ends  of  the  harness-traces  in  their  left  hands,  or  tying 
them  in  slip-nooses  around  their  waists,  started  without  delay  upon  the 
trail,  leaving  the  two  emptv  sledges  and  a  few  of  the  poorer  dogs  under 
the  care  of  the  Innuit  women,  who  had  come  along  with  the  party  for 
that  express  purpose,  and  who  had  instructions  to  follow  on  then-ail 
with  the  sledges  and  the  dogs  that  liad  been  left  with  them,  as  soon  as 
firing  was  lieard,  or  after  a  quarter  of  an  liour  to  twenty  minutes  had 
elapsed  without  such  sounds.     To  prevent  \\\e  hungry  canines  left  be- 
liind  from  following  too  socm,  without  the  women's  consent,  the  sledges 
were  turned  over  and  the  two  females  sat  down  on  the  slats  to  add 
obstacles  to  such  an  attempt. 

The  dogs,  many  of  them  old  musk-ox  hunters,  and  seemingly  con- 
scious of  the  fact,  and  with  appetites  doubly  sharpened  by  'many 
days'  hard  work  and  a  constantly  diminishing  ration,   tugged  and 


THE    MUSK-OX. 


95 


jerked  like  mad  nt  their  lon<,^  seal-skin  harness-lines,  as  they  half-buried 
their  eager  noses  in  tlie  tumbled  snow  of  the  ti-ail,  and  hurried  tlieir 
human  companions  ulon-  at  a  flying  i-atethat  threatened  a  broken  limb 
or  neck  at  eadi  of  the  rough  gorges  and  jutting  precipices  of  the  broken 
stony  hill  land,  where  the  exciting  chase  was  being  run.     The  rnpidity 
with  wlii(di  an  agile  native  hunter  can  get  over  ground  at  a  run  when 
thus  attaclied  to  two  or  three  excited  dogs  is  astonishing  beyond  measure, 
and  fully  equals  the  average  between  the  man  and  the  dog  running  sep- 
arately, and  seems  double  that  gait  to  a  spectator  not  used  to  it.     AVhen- 
ever  a  steep  valley  was  encountered  and  had  to  be  crossed,  the  Innuits 
would  slide  down  on  their  feet,  in  a  s(pu.tting  posture,  throwing  the 
loose  snow  aside   like  dnst   from  a  rolling  wagon  wheel,   until   the 
bottom  was  reached  and  crossed,  when  quick  as  thought  they  would 
throw  themselves  at  full  length  upon  the  snow  of  the  ascending  bank, 
and  the  wild,  excited  brutes  would  drag  them  np  it  to  the  top,  where,' 
regaining  their  feet  in  an  athletic  manner,  impossible  to  any  one  not 
used  to  it,  they  would  run  on  at  a  constantly  accelerating  gait,  their 
guns  in  the  meantime  being  held  in  the  right  hand  or  lashed  upon  their 
backs,  so  that  they  could  readily  get  at  them  when  the  battle-field  was 
reached.     Not  caring  to  be  disemboweled  on  the  razor-like  edge  of  some 
slightly  projecting  stone,  or  leaving  a  knee-cap  or  a  bunch  of  ribs  on 
top  of  it,  I  took  a  slower  and  more  civilized  gait,  and  as  I  was  getting 
on  the  other  end  of  this  polar  wocession  from  the  musk-oxen,  the  dogs 
that  had  been  unfortunate  enough  to  be  assigned  to  carry  me  into  a 
slaughter  of  these  animals,  grew  furious  at  the  delay,  and  tugged  and 
jumped  and  pulled  at  the  harness  traces  by  which  I  held  them  at  my 
waist,  until  T  thought  they  would  convert  me  into  a  was]),  or  at  least 
give  my  waist  a  more  fashionable  contour  than  it  had.     You  may  rest 
assured  that  I  was  happy  enough  when  the  native  hunters  ahead' com- 
menced slip]>ing  tlieir  dogs,  so  that  I  could  conscientiously  do  the  same. 
We  had  hardly  gone  a  mile  across  the  break-neck  country  in  this 
harum-scarum  chase  before  it  became  evident  to  us  that  the  musk-oxen 
were  but  a  short  distance  ahead,  on  a  keen  run,  and  the  foremost  hunters 
began  loosening  their  dogs  to  bring  the  cattle  to  bay  as  soon  as  possible, 
and  then,  for  the  first  time  in  this  exciting  chase,  these  intelligent 


^4    Hi 


96 


NIMRUD    IN    Till':    NORTH. 


creatures  ^^ave  ton-tie  in  d.'  p,  1,,,;.;  bnyin-  a.s  tliey  (shot  forward  like 
arrow.s  from  tiie  bow,  and  disapix-ared  over  the  crests  of  tiie  biokm 
hills  amidst  a  perfect  bewilderment  of  flying-  snow  and  fluttering'  harness- 
lim's.  It  was  now  merely  a  matt.'r  of  lime  when  the  tlyin^'  band  would 
be  overtaken,  and  as  we  pick-d  up  one  leg  after  the  other  from  thedeej) 
snow,  until  they  seemed  to  weigh  a  ton  apiece,  we  hoped  from  the 
innermost  coniei-s  of  our  hearts  it  would  not  be  long.  The  discord  of 
loud  shouts  and  snai):)ish  barkings  told  us  plainly  enough  that  at  least 
some  of  the  animals  had  been  bjoiight  to  bay  not  veiy  far  distant  to  the 
fi'ont,  and  we  soon  afterward  heard  a  i-apid  series  of  sharp  ]-ei)orts  from 
the  breech-loadei's  and  magazine  guns  of  the  advanced  liunters,  that 
took  three-fourths  of  the  weariness  and  lieavy  feeling  out  of  our  lower 
limbs. 

We  white  men  ari-ived  on  the  l)att]e-field  just  in  time  to  see  the 
grand  final  struggle  before  the  last  of  the  oxen  sank  to  eaith.  They 
presented  a  most  formidable  looking  ai)i)earan('e  with  theii- rumps  firmly 
wedged  together,  foiming  an  nnbioken  circle  of  swaying  horns,  i)re- 
sented  viciously  to  the  front,  with  givat  blood-shot  eye-balls  glaring 
like  red-liot  shot  amidst  theescaj.lng  steam  from  their  panting  nostrils, 
and  pawing  and  idungiiig  at  the  solid  ciivleof  furious  dogs  that  encom- 
passed them.  The  rapid  blazing  of  magazine  guns  I'ight  in  their  fright- 
ened faces— so  close,  often,  as  tobuiii  their  long,  shaggy  hair— made  up 
a  vivid  scene  that  would  have  impressed  the  most  apathetic  for  life,  if 
but  once  encountered,  even  as  we  saw  it  on  that  day.  AVoe  to  the 
excited,  over-zealous  dog  that  in  liis  close  attacks  was  nnluckx  enough 
to  get  his  harness-line  under  the  hoofs  of  a  charging  and  iiifuriated 
musk-bidl  ;  for  it  woidd  follow  up  a  straight  leash,  made  by  the  dog's 
pulling  back,  stretched  along  the  hard  snow,  with  a  rapidity  and  cer- 
tainty  that  would  do  credit  to  a  tight-rope  performer,  and  eithei-  paw 
the  poor  creature  to  death  or  Hing  him  high  in  tlie  air  with  his  horns. 

The  immediate  chase  being  practically  over,  we  tired  and  i)anting 
white  men  rested  where  the  bodies  of  the  first  victims  fell,  but  Toolooah, 
my  best  native  hunter— an  agile,  wiry  young  Iwillik  Tnnuit  of  about 
twenty-six  or  seven,  with  the])luckaml  endui-anceof  a  blooded  horse.— 
and  half  the  flying  dogs  still  pressed  onward  after  the  scattered  rem- 


THE    MUSK-OX. 


1)7 


Hants  of  the  broken  herd,  and 


succeeded  in  killino-  two  more  aftt 


liard  run  of  two  or  thi-ee  miles ;  (h^uhly  liard,  indeed,  for  the  fii-lii,.„,.d 
beasts  seem  to  think  tluit  their  best  clunuv  for  es.-ape  was  in  JV^Iowing 


th 


ie  very  rou-liest  parts  of  tlie  country  they  could  lind-a  method 


jiur 


sued  by  many  wild  aidmals. 

The  last  musk-ox  Toolooah  killed  he  would  pi(^ba].lv  not  luive  over- 
taken if  the  swiftest  do-    Parseneuk  by  name,  hml  iio't  chased  him  to 
the  edge  of  a  hi-h,  steep  i)recii)ice.  .'vidently  too  foi'inidable  for  the  ox 
to  make  up  his  mind  to  leap  from  at  once.     H.tc  half  a  second's  vacil- 
lation of  the  shaooy  brute  gave  the  dog  a  chanc..  to  f:.sten  on  his  heels, 
and  in  a  very  short  interval  of  time  the  beast  had  exchanged  en.ls  and 
Parseneuk  was  making  un  involuntary  ai'rial  ascent,  which  was  not 
much  more  than  linished  before'  Toolooali  had  put  three  shots  from  his 
Winchester  cai-bine  into  the  brute's  neck  ami  head;  whereup(m  the 
two  animals  cam.?  to  earth-or  rather  snow-together,  Parseneuk  on 
the  soft  snow-drift  that  had  collected  under  the  lee  of  the  twenty-foot   ■ 
precii)ice,  fortunately  uidiurt.     Parseneuk  was  a  trindy  built  animal, 
that  I  had  secured  with  ti'ading  matei-ial  fi-oni  the  Kinnepetoo  Eskimo 
Avho  iTdia))it  the  shores  and  contiguous  country  of  (Jhesterlield  Inlet, 
l)eing  one  of  the  very  few  tribes  of  the  great  Innuit  fannly,  from  nearly 
the  Straits  of  Belle  Isle  to  those  of  Northern  Bering  Sea  and  beyond. 
Avho  live  away  from  the  sea-coasts  and  eat  but  spailngly  of  aquatic  "food.' 
They  subsist  princi])ally  npon  the  liesh  of  the  barren-ground  reimleer, 
and  their  hunting  dogs  are  adei)ts  in  securing  these  fleet  animals,  Par- 
seneuk being  ])articularly  swift  and  intelligent  as  a  hunter.     lie  had 
been  the  undoubted  favorite  among  the  dogs  in  the  Kinne])etoo  family 
from  whom  he  Avas  purchased,  and  as  a  consecpience  I  had  to  appease 
several  members  of  the  family  with  trifling  presents  as  indirect  danuiges 
to  tiieir  affections,  making  Parseneuk  cost  me  fully  twice  as  muclfas 
the  other  dogs  I  purchased  fi-om  this  tribe.     He  had  a  beautiful  head, 
with  sleek  muzzle  und  fox-like  nose,  while  his  pointed  ears  peered  cun- 
ningly forth  from  the  curly  wool  on  top  of  his  head  in  strange  and 
striking  contrast  with  those  of  the  many  other  dogs  that  I  have  often 
met,  whose  broken  and  mutilated  ears  (usually  restored  in  illustrations 
of  Arctif  scenes  concerning  canine  matters)  showed  plaiidy  the  flghts  and 


,1 
'f 


mms 


08 


MMUo:)   IX   rm:   xoi.'rir. 


1 
'  i 

i 

tii 

; 

i. 

j 

} 

i 

im 

L    -^ 

(lii:irr.'ls  in  wliicli  they  li.id  liunn".!.  Ix'in.u-  mostly  (•(•inhafM  ovt>r  n\h\ 
victii:ils.  |»iirs('UtMiU.  iis  flic  r.iiiiily  r:i\(>iil«'.  Iiiid  Im-cm  ijiist'd  ;iti*i  j'.'d  in 
tli»>  /f//ot),  or  snow  lioiis(>.  under  ilic  losicrini;  piohTiion  of  the  old 
niMlroii  of  III.'  I'liniily,  :ind  Iviiia;  sjivcd  tlii>  (Msjihivi'mMc  nrccssily  ol" 
liulilinii:  for  liis  daily  hiv;id  lu'  flms  pivscrvcd  his  curs  int:i«'l.  I'oor 
I'lirsciuMik  !  hd'on'  llic  Umi>;  slt'diiv  joiinicy  \\:is  coMiitlclcd,  his  h:ind 
sonitM'iirs  li;id  often  scivt'd  ns  cnNliions  to  prevent  the  teeth  of  hiryer 
(h)ijs  from  rnhhini^  too  severely  over  e.Mch  other,  ;intl  were  h;in,<iin.i;- in 
mournful  Mltitutle  from  his  well  hnilt  he.id.  If  he  did  not  snve  insenrs, 
Ik'  ;it  least  saved  his  life,  heinu'oneof  the  Incky  nineteen  do,i>-s  that  lived 
tiii'oiiiih  the  Jonrney  in  whieli  sixty  i.i  all  had  participated. 

Till'  chase  heinn-  o\t>\\  the  scallered  Imniers  and  do.ns  ualheivd 
around  the  lohes  and  hodiesof  theii-  victims.  The  half  famished  do.ns 
received  all  lln'y  could  eat  I  heir  tirst  full  feast  in  over  liireeueeUs 
and  after  a  ,<i:ood  loiiii'  r<'st,  interspersed  with  more  musk  ox  aihcntnre, 
we  lo.ided  the  two  sledyes  that  had  come  up  in  the  meantime  with  (he 
riMiiainiiUi'  meat  and  a  few  of  the  liner  robes  as  mementoes  and  troi»liies. 
We  returned  to  our  mornin,u'scanii»,  adisi.inceof  liveorsix  miles,  which 
wt>  traveled  slowly  cmuiuh,  <»ur over  fed  do-is.  with  ponderous  paunches 
lirojcctiim'  from  their  lean  sides,  hardly  noticin.u'  the  most  vigorous  ap- 
plications of  the  well  directed  whip,  lu  fact,  the  next  day's  journey 
too  was  considerably  curtailed  by  the  la/y  brutes,  I  hat  had  surfeite(| 
themst>lv(>s  until  they  were  nearly  woi'thless,  .-iiid  it  was  not  until  the 
st>coud  day  after,  that  we  commenced  lobe  reniuuerale(l  for  our  lavish 
sup|)ly  of  ration:;  u-ivcu  them  just  aflei-  the  hunt.  This  over  feed iii.u-  of 
half-famished  Kskinio  do,i;s  is  always  alleuded  with  these  results,  and 
is  never  resortt>d  to  except  in  cases  like  this  particular  hunt,  wher<'  the 
food  Thus  ui veil  them  is  so  ph'iitiful  that  it  would  hav(>  to  be  thrown 
away  if  not  so  disposed  of,  and  as  musk-ox  meat  ranked  next  to  walrus, 
the  best  of  all.  this  was  not  thought  of  for  a  moment. 

The  natives  of  the  noi'tli.  with  w  honi  my  explorations  brouiiht  me  in 
contact  in  many  lumtiuix  adventures,  never  seek  the  musk-oxen  without 
a  ])lentiful  supjily  of  well-trained  dou's,  unless  it  be  for  a  sin,i;le  animal 
or  two,  while  .Miu-aired  in  other  obj(>cts  that  briiiii' them  toe;et her,  for, 
with  their  hell),  the  hunters  art>  almost   certain  of  securinii;  the  whole 


77//';    Ml/SK  OX. 


m 


hrid,  howrv.-rliii-r,..  iml.'ss  llic'iniinnls  iin-jircidcnf  ally. ■ippriHcd  of  their 


Mppiojich  111  Noiiic   wiiv,  !is   (Ik'v  uciv  in  om 


(aicoiiiilcr  with  fhcin,  on 


'»  oltcii  lollow  a  s 


iirr(Mllll  ol"  Hie  (I. 'rise  |o;,r,  hut  wliicli  i  ,  s..|(N.m  tl 
lai-'^'c  haiifls  of  Arctic  wolves  tliat,  j-o  oft 
of  liiintrrs,  tosi'ciiiv  Ilic  stray  wounded 

and    tliere   oil'    ;i     j)oollv-<'onHllllcted    meat 


le  j-ase.      Soini'tinies  the 


fowl 


<lon\  will  l'iin;|ii,.n  niiisU-oxeiioat  (»r  th 
tliein  at  nin-lit  fall  ;'nd  depended  on  tl 


is  especially  the  (     h..  if  ih,.  ,.;,tll 


e  ;irc 


for  at  other  limes  Ihev  seem  t 


y-inovin;j,'  body 
Kiiine,  and  make  a,  meal  here 
cairn,  (»r  pendiance  a  stray 
e  country  if  ||i)>  hunters  have  seen 
le  morr(»w  lor  thechiise,  and  this 
nrdeiied  with  yoiin^^  to  protect, 


o  care  hilt  liiilc  I'or  theatfiicks  (.f  wolv 


es. 


except    it   he  all  aijed  or  <|ccr.'pid     fellow  t 


hand,  and  that   may  fall  a    victim,     'j'l 


oo    weak  to   keep   up  with  thcf 


leir  peculiar   inoch^  of  defense  is 


pro(d"a<j;!insl  any  niiiiiherof  wolves,  if  ||i..|v  he  only  a  few  of  tl 
to  form  it.      When  the  llyin^  herd  Ims  heeii  Inoiit-hl  to  I 


le  oxen 


its  circle  of  defense  aL^ainsI   th<'  d 


)ay  and  formed 


illiin  live  or  six  Uh'\,  ;iiid  make  sure  of 


0;,%   the    Ivskimo   liiird*  rs  approach 


ioiinded  animal  is  far  inon- dan^^eroiisat  adisi 


every  shot  that  is  lired  ;  foi-  n, 


irice,  than  an  nnwonnderl 


one  even  at  such  close  ran<;(',  liowev<'r  furious  he  may  look  to  tl 
itiated.      h'lirthermore,  a    hadlv  wounded 


i(^  iiiiin- 


aninial,   yet  able  to  run,    is 
exi  reniely  h'jd.le  to  staiiipede  the  whole  herd,  and  ji  hand  of  theses  l)nites 


Wll"l 

hi 
m 


I  once 


ani] 


»e(  e( 


pecially  from  this  cause,  arc-  much   harder  to 


■  V  the  seco 


nd    t 


me 


moreover,  when 


th* 


second  attempt   is 
em  in  it,  for  as 


Sf. 


Ilia 


a   veiy  larfi-e 


nters  will  not   liiid  so  many  {\u^h  to  aid  th 
•  two  animals  are  killed  in   die  tirst  hoiit, 
.lo.ys  litiirer  around  this  certainty  rather  than  waste  tl 
diihioiis  fortunes  of  a,  second   battle.      Ft  may  \w  well  t 
mention,  however,  t hut  if  tln^  hunt  is  properly  mana^^ed,  such  stamped 
are  extrenielv  rai'e. 


leir 


eiiernfe 


o 


es 


When  the  circle  of  cattle  is hrst approached,  the  hunters  watcli  tl 


jeir 


opportunities  in  some  unusual  commotion  amon^^  the  herd  to  dispatch 


hrst,  and  with  iinerr'n^^  certainty,  theacti 


ve  and  air^n-essive  hulls,  con- 


en 


forniably  toapMieral  huntin^Mnaxim  followed  by  experienced  huntsni 
in  all  parts  of  the  world  and  with  all  sorts  of  ^^ame.  This  rule  does  not 
depend  so  much  on  self-protection  for  the  hunter,  even  with  capital 
ffitiie,  as  it  does  on  tlie  desire  to  secure  all  "that  is  in  sio-ht."     Un- 


i\ 

.-it 

100 


A7V/>'f)/>    i\    lur:   yoirrii. 


I 


<l(»iil>ti'(ny  !iiiitn;ils  lt>i>U  lo  tlicif  inort'  iiu-if'ssivc  iii'i;4lil»t)is  I'dc  pictlcc- 
lioii,  .-iiitl  this  «'(Hili(l<'iin'  is   not    Idsi  rvcii     ■;    ihrir  drolh.  llirir  hmlit  s 

Ix'illL!,-  f  iH'lvfor."  !S(»  iM.'iny  JIIK'linrs    lo    hold     llimi    lo    tlicl';!!.!!    spol     |i;i|i| 

llu'ir  own  tiiiii  iirrivfs.  .\s  ihcir  iiiiinhi'is  I'jill  (tiic  ;ii  ;i  limr,  (ln'  musk 
()X»  ti  resolutely  persist  in  (heir  curious  jmd  sin,iiul;ii'  mode  of  defense, 
presentinu'  their  u^ly  lookiny-  horns  lownrd  :is  ni.iny  points  (tf  the  eom 
pn.-is  :is  iheir  remniniiiy  numlters  will  nilow.  When  only  t\\«»  nie  lel'i, 
these,  niiii  iinr.ps  toyeiher,  mid,  rneinii-  from  e;ieh  (ttlii  r.  will  continue 
the  unt'tpiMJ  l>:iltle  ntiilinsl  theeneniy.  :ind  even  the  l;is|  "  roilofU  hope" 
will  l>:icU  up  iiuoinsf  the  hnp'sl  pile  of  his  dc-id  .■iiid  dyinu' comrjides, 
or  :iu';iinsi  ;i  \:\\ixt'  rock  or  snow  l);ini\  ;iud  i\r\'\  his  pursuers,  doiis  :iiid 
hur.lers,  until  his  deuih.  While  (he  li(ili>  cdves  :ire  too  youn.y  iind 
I'eehic  lo  l^ke  (heir  pl:ic"s  intlieiV'dil  r.'lllks  tll.'lt  is.  until  (liey;ire 
;il)out  eiuht  or  nine  usoiiths  old  (hey  o<-cupy  (he  hollow  ,;(pi;ire  or  in- 
terior sp:;  •  I'ormed  l>y  their  <li'lensi\e  p;iren(s;  l>u(  when  lieireldcrs 
h;iv(  perished  in  their  (hd'ense,  with  :in  inslin"(  Itorn  of  (lusr  species, 
(hey  will  form  in  the  snrne  circidnr  older  ;ind  show  liulK. 

I(  is  :i  curious  liiiim-  th;it  if  ;i  siiiiile  musk  ox  is  eiicon.'itered  :iiid 
biiyed.  he  will  never  remain  sntislied  until  he  li:is  hacked  up  auainst 
something!:.  how(>v,.i-  ;quall,  to  protect  him  I'loiu  a  rear  ati.ick.  They 
have  almost  ;is  iiiiicli  coiilidenct>  in  this  trick  as  (he  ostrich  has  iu  hiding- 
its  head  in  (he  sand,  for  a  rock  no  laru"r  (liaii  a  man's  head  will  sullice 
if  nothinii-  I'etter  is  conveniently  near.  'The  iiiosi  siu.uiilar  jiart  is  (he 
way  tlit>y  will  respect  I  he  same  .absurd  (l(>fens(>,  and  my  hunters  em|ili;i- 
sized  the  caution  a  half  a  dozen  times  licfore  th<' chase  took  place  not 
to  ntt(Mni>t  to  run  beyond  some  sliiihtly  projecting'  rock  or  siiow  hank, 
and  dodii-e  around  it  should  tht>  relations  between  myself  ;ind  a  musk-ox 
re(iuirt>  such  dodiiiiiLi-.  So  many  times  did  th<'se  f;iil  hfiil  fellows,  who 
would  in  !U)  way-^ivea  piece  of  advic<' that  mi,u-lit  lead  to  daii.ufroiis 
results  witli  any  one.  sp(>ak  of  this,  that  simi.le  and  even  absurd  as  it 
n]ipenr(>(l  1  was  fully  forc(>d  to  believe  it.  I  do  not  believe  the  advice 
would  have  been  of  much  jiractical  hcnetit  to  a  w  liiie  man.  howcvei-,  for 
eonsiderinu-  tlit>  furious  way  tliey  lookeil  on  tlmt  morniim-  of  the  L'iHli  of 
April,  liad  one  u(>t  after  me  I  think  no  rock  less  than  the  si/e  of  tiie 
W:  sliintcton  ..loniiment  would  have  satislied  my  intense  (h'sir<'  for  an 
iiitervtMiinji'  obstacle. 


■/'///■;    Ml  Sh-n.w 


101 


'P! 


I'!n'  ('.•lives  of  which    |   s 
iMti'ir  aliuiit  jh<>  iiionlh  nl'   '  I: 


<»lscii  ill   I  hi'  |ii('vi(»i(s  jiiir.'ijfi'.'iph,  urt 


:iukn;ii(| 


iUi'   s;iiiM'    (lir(y,    l»i«»\\!i 

ltlllV;il(»    cnlvfs    (.r    th*-    («iv;i(     Wrst. 


i.V  ii<  Ihis  |M>i'iit)ii  (.-r  ih.'  ((.iiiiiiv,  ;iii(l   I 


i;i\<' 


•"I||<IHV(|    ;iliv.'    I»_v   Ihr  Ivsluiliu   (h)i,'s,   il'    Hie    hlltll 


iiK'I.V  hM»Uiii;4'    !i|i|M';iij|iicc   iis    ihe 
■I'll    |»l:iiiis.      'I'lM-y   cMii    lie    rc'idilv 


•  'I'M    MC    iH'lir   to    p|i'\C|lt 


lli'ir  l.rin-  iiniiir.liiiirly  |„ni   (,,  pir.vs  l.y  III.'  ■•   nintioiis  iiiiiiimls.  (.r 

lli.y  II..- V  Im.  hikrii  hy  :iiiy.'iiri-..(ic  hiuihT  jii'lrr  Ih.- (.1.1  (.iics  h;ivc  I ri 

'^'"'■''  '"  •■'  >"•'■''•  'I'  !'•'  i^  ill  'ill  willing  (o  shmd  ,i  lew  iMMiiicii;^  iHifliiiKM 

I'"'"  III'-  lilllc  nilllSMS  he  |.ll!s  (h.  .S.'iiJsUil!  'h(.i|,L-:,S  !ll(.l|||(|  (hem.  Ill 
whiih'Vci'  \v;iy  (hey  iii.iy  r;i||  Jm.,  ,„„.',s  h.'ilid.s  in  these  ilih(.s|.ilj|M(^ 
rei-iolis,  it  is  iMi|.(.ssil.le  to  riiniish  Iheill  ui:li  piopn-  lioiiiishllieill  to 
siis(;iiii  lif..  until  they  ciin  I.e  sjil'ely  (niiisrencd  |(,  ji,  vessel;  which, 
riK.lVdVel',  c'li;  <Mlly  escMMe  rr(.lii  llies(  rewi(,„s  iUmw^  the  niltlllilll 
riK.IldlM,  when  (he  ice  hiis  l)|'(,Ueil  lip;  ('(.liseciiienMy  t  here  . -ire  li(.  cjises 
<»ll  nronl,  I  l)e|i(>ve,  where  these  incst  cillioiis  ;iiiiMiii!s  li;ive  been  e.xliil.- 
i(ed  Jllive  ill  (he  teilM  .•,(,.  /,„nes.  The  iiidives  (..id  m,.  tl,;,t  they  li;i(l 
si|c.'.'ed..(|  ill  k..epi  :  iiiec.'ilves  :ilive  •oi' m  few  (|;iys  by  uui7.y.]U\<r  (h.. 
(lo-SMll.l  (:ikill,-'-..(iiei'  piecjiiith.ns,  l.iit  llieys;ilik  s..  i;ipi.||y  t hilt  i(  w.'lS 
•  '  ideiit  they  w<.iild  die  v.-ry  s„(.n,  mid  they  kille.l  them  r..i'  |V.(.d. 

WrfiUi'   the   I'lsUini..    hiinteis   w.-re  provided    widi    th.'   tire-nmiH  of 

■v!li/,!ili(.n,  pn.ciiied  in  tr.'ide  with  (he  II.ids<.irs  |',;iy  Conipjiiiy,  wIiosm 

lie:ii'es(  p..i(  w:is  :i  in..n(|i\s  (mvel  .lis(jin(,  ..r  l.y  A  in.'iicjin  wlmh-rs  who 

fliov.-  r.'inmi.'nitive  hiU'^-'.-iiiis  widi  them  in  vnlmil.!.'  Arc(ic  fins  while 

wiideiiiri--  in  (li.'ii-  coiiiifry,  (hey  ns.'.l  (h.'  J.ow  :iiid  :iin.w,  ..rdi."  h.ti^r 

hmce  or  spe:ir,  diishinn-  f.'iirl.-ssly  psisf  (he  miisk-.)xeirs  swiii<ii;,^r  horns 

iis  (h.'y  hurled  fh.' shjirpeti.'.l  hf.n.' hm.-e  heii.l  de.-p  in  som.' vi(;il  p;ir(. 

The  hows  :ind  nrn.ws  w.-r.-  iiiiicli  I.'.,:'  ivliiihl.-,  unless  (li.'y  wer.' p.-cii- 

li.-iriy  foi(iin;i(.'  in  dir.cdn.u-  (h.-  i.ro.je.'iiN'  s..  ns  fo  .-ider  he(w.'."n  tw<. 

rii)s,  ;ind  ev.-n  (hen  iio(  :ilw;iys  .'irecdM  .  owin^^  f.)  the  wenkriess  of  dieii- 

l)'>ws.  which  will   nof  compiire  f;ivor:ih|y  widi   (Ik.s.' ..f  (he  s;ivii<;<'s  <.f 

(emiM'I'ilte  /..n.'S.      They  !ire  niiide  of  miisk-o\  li  ,111,  spliced  in  the  center 

with  thon.iis  and  mehil  !'ive(s,  and  even  (hen  s..  sh<. rt  (hat  they  liav.-  (o 

I'c  l)MiIi  Old  a(  (he  .'lids  hy  loni;  splices  ..f  ivin.le.'r  Ji.)rM  ;  and  so  much 

hiiildino-  lip  is  ne.'d.MJ  in  tliis  rnanii.'r  that  a  .ureat  welt  of  sin.'w  strin,<;s 

as  larp'  as  the  little  iinger  ih  pljice.l  ak.n^^  its  hack  to  give  it  strength 


B     3 


1*1 


m 


102 


NIMROD    IN    THE    NORTH. 


and 


to  propel  the 


"r 


11 

i 

1 

■: 

f 

h 

:    |i 

ow.  The  arrows,  too,  are  weaklings  in  that 
line ;  tlie  small  amount  of  driftwood  thrown  up  on  tlieir  shores,  which 
is  too  brash  for  the  bows,  has  hardly  strength  enough  for  arrow  shafts, 
while  the  tips  are  generally  made  from  the  hard  bone  on  the  shin  of  the 
reindeer.  Yet  even  y,  lih  these  rude  weapons  they  did  not  hesitate  to 
atta''k  such  large  game.  la  the  olden  times,  before  fire-arms  were 
known  to  them,  one  of  tlieir  tests  of  manly  courage  was  for  a  huiiter  to 
pass  within  the  circle  of  animals  and  return,  backward  and  forward, 
killing  one  or  two  of  the  oxen  at  each  passage.  Of  such  old-time  feats 
the  gray-haired  men  of  the  tribe  still  speak. 

One  old  Iwillik  Innuit— so  I  was  told  by  his  tribe,  and  they  are  not 
given  to  vain  boasting—wliile  traveling  with  a  few  dogs  and  a  light 
sledge  from  one  village  to  another  on  one  of  the  visits  so  common 
among  these  wanderers  of  the  north,  came  suddenly  and  unexpectedly 
upon  a  couple  of  musk-oxen  that  had  strayed  from  tlieir  usual  haunts 
in  invading  this  part  of  the  country.  Stopping  the  sledge  and  unhitch- 
ing his  dogs  from  it,  he  turned  them  loose  after  the  oxen,  and  following 
as  fast  as  he  could  at  a  run,  soon  had  the  pleasure  of  seing  them 
brought  to  bay  by  the  dogs.  So  little  game  was  ever  seen  in  this  well- 
traveled  route,  that  arms  were  considered  a  superfiuous  weight  and  he 
had  none  with  him.  Ills  only  weapon,  if  it  could  be  called  sucli,  was  a 
"snow-knife"— a  kind  of  long,  doiible-bladed  butcher  knife,  which 
the  natives  use  to  cut  and  fit  the  blocks  of  snow  with  in  constructintr 
their  winter  houses  of  that  material,  and  which  they  use  for  so  many 
other  purposes  of  cuttivig  that  an  Innuit  is  seldom  found  without  one 
in  his  hand.  Nothing  daunted,  however,  he  courageously  attacked 
them  and  in  a  few  minutes  had  secured  botli,  bringing  their  meat  and 
robes  into  camp  to  displaj'-  before  his  astonished  listeners. 

The  danger  to  be  ai)prehended  from  these  formidable  and  fei'ocious- 
looking  brutes  is  undoubtedly  more  apparent  than  real,  judging  fnmi 
the  accidents  that  occur,  although  a  few  sensational  writers  have  tried 
to  classify  their  killing  as  ecpial  in  si)ort  to  that  of  slaughtering  a  band 
of  sheep,  no  doubt  to  satisfy  an  idea— of  their  own— that  pe()])le  will 
not  believe  them,  but  think  it  is  due  to  an  exuberance  of  lu'aveiy  and 
heedless  disregard  of  danger  on  tlieir  own  parts.     Tlieir  statenuMits  do 


THE    MUSK-OX. 


103 


not  agree  with  tliose  of  the  Eskimo,   that  in  eases  wliere  they  are 
extremely  anxious  to  secure  tlie  herd,  they  look  on  a  white  man  in  the 
jmrty  as  a  Jonah  of  Jumbo  proportions.     They  are  nevei-  able  to  get 
them  closer  than  forty  or  fifty  yards  of  the  !)ayed  game,  and  even  at  that 
distance  they  are  so  excited  that  not  only  are  they  liable  to  wound  the 
game,  with  the  results  already  hinted  at,  but  they  make  it  unsafe  for  the 
natives  to  approach  to  their  usual  distance  when  killing  them,  and  as 
this  happened  with  one  of  the  identical  writei's  spoken  of,  I  think  my 
theory  is  well  based.     Whenever  a  white  nuin'  s  tliirst  for  musk-ox  gore 
liad  to  be  appeased  he  was  given  a  couple  of  slow  dogs,  the  natives  know- 
ing that  even  the  slowest  would  have  hard  work  to  hurry  him  up  ;  and 
Avhen  the  cattle  were  bayed,  all  were  killed  but  a  yearling,  held  to  its 
place  by  the  dogs,  which  the  Caucassian  could  slaughter  at  his  leisure. 
Probably  more  than  any  other  species  of  game  that  can  be  dangerous  in 
a  fair  showing,  these  horned  hyperboreans  are  caught  at  such  a  disa(l\an- 
tage  that  their  killing  loses  nearly  all  the  spice  of  danger,  and  this  is  par- 
ticidarly  so  when  caught  near  the  coast,  which  they  probi.bly  visit  to 
]irocure  salt,  if  salt-licks  be  scarce  in  the  interior.     A  hunting  party 
fi'om  a  whaling  ship  cruising  in  Northern  Huds(m"s  ]?tiy,  found  a  good- 
sized  herd  of  cattle  straying  around   on  a  long,   n:iri-ow  spit  of  land 
pi'ojecting  from  Caiie  Jalabert,   just  below  Chesterfield   Inlet.     They 
formed  a  skirmish  line  aci-oss  the  base  of  the  linger-like  peninsula,  and 
advanced  slowly  towai-d  the  docmied  band,  and  when  within  a  hundred 
and  fifty  yards— so  far  awiiy  that  a  shot  would  not  produce  utter  con- 
sternation amongst  the  cattl.s  tiieir  best  mai'ksmen  opened  tire  from 
behind  rocks  and  nu)unds  with  Sharp's  and  Winchester  sporting  rities, 
and  soon  liad  them  all  down.     It  was  a  gUn-ious  bag,   and  gave  them 
piospects  of  much  fresh  meat  for  the  winter,  but  as  far  as  sport  goes,  it 
{savored  too  nuich  of  the  slaughtei'-house.     Such  encounters  n<"ar  the 
coast  are  not  infr(^(pient,  and  esi)ecially  so  in  the  case  of  white  men, 
who  seldom  i)enetrate  into  the  interior,   though  it  is  there  that  the 
si)ort,  as  such,  reaches  as  near  i>erfection  as  i)()ssibl(\ 

The  dogs  are  fre(pu'ntly  killed  by  being  tossed  high  in  the  air  ])v 
their  hoi-ns,  so  well  shaju'd  for  that  i)uri)ose,  which  generally  intli('t 
injuries  that  necessitate  the  dog  s  being  shot ;  or  they  may  j)aw  them  lo 


t  'I 


,111 


m 


I 


U'lriTK  ^\]:\  Hr\iiN(;   mu<k  d.vkn. 


THE    MUSK-OX, 


105 


death,  as  already  descril)ed.  The  musk-bulls  can,  however,  be  prevented 
IVoni  follouing  u})  a  dogs  trailing  harness  Hue  by  attaching  a  toggle 
noose  to  it  where  tlie  trace  joins  the  harness  at  the  root  of  the  dcg  s 
tail,  where  the  traces  are  separated  from  the  dogs  before  they  are  slipped 
for  the  chase.  Tiiis,  as  one  would  suppose,  is  the  case  when  on  a  reg- 
ular musk-ox  hunt,  and  preparations  have  been  made  accordingly. 
Another  sure  way  is  to  fold  the  trace  into  a  "bundle  noose,""  until 'it 
all  rests  on  the  dog's  back,  leaving  no  trailing  line  for  the  musk-oxen 
to  follow.  Since  tire-arms  have  been  introduced,  and  especially  sporting 
rifles,  an  occasional  luckless  dog  gets  killed  by  a  bullet  passing  clear 
through  the  enemy  and  lodging  in  his  own  carcass.  The  trained  Eskiiuo 
dog  never  barks  in  the  presence  of  game,  until  liberated  from  his  mas- 
ter's hands. 

The  musk-ox  of  the  Arctic  is  only  about  two-thirds  the  size  of  the 
bison  or  American  biilfalo,  but  in  appearance  he  is  nearly  as  large,  owing 
to  the  immense  heavy  coat  of  long  w-eping-willow-like'hair  that  covei^ 
him  down  below  the  knees,  as  if  he  were  carrying  a  load  of  black  brush. 
If  a  person  be  near  when  they  are  running  by  at  their  curious,  clioppy 
lope,  this  long  hair  rises  and  falls  in  waving  billows  like  the  wind  run- 
ning through  ripened  grain  or  tali  grass  in  the  open  fields.     As  Ills 
generic  name  {(JDihos  mosvhatus)  imports,  he  seems  to  form  a  sort  of 
connecting  link  between  the  ox  and  the  sheep,  and  formerly  was  much 
spoken  of  as  the  musk-sheep.     His  peculiar  covering  makes  him  look 
like  a  huge,   well-tleeced  ram,  of  a  blackish-brown  color,  to  which  his 
broad,  spreading  horns  add  not  a  little  sinularity.     In  fact  this  dense 
covering  or  coat  seems  to  partake  of  the  character  of  both  wool  and 
hair.     First  there  is  a  heavy  coat  of  very  long  blackish-brown  hair,  like 
that  on  the  "hump,"  shoulders  and  forelegs  of  the  bison,  or  XnwvWnn 
buffalo,  which  extends  over  the  wlioh'  l)ody  of  the  musk-ox,  and  is.  I 
believe  (from  Eskimo  authority),  never  shed  at  any  time  of  the  year. 
Jieneath  this  hair  there  is  an  undercoating  of  soft,  light-brown  wool  or 
tl.v(v,  which  is  iuvisibl..  through  die  lirst  unless  parted  by  the  iuinds 
for  that  purpose,  and  which  is  sh.>d  annually  nt  the  usual'time  in  the 
spring.     This  latter  seems  to  be  a  true  wool,  aii.l  of  the  iinest  texture. 
A  Mr.  Pennant,  au  English  gentleman,  writing  of  the  musk-ox,  gives 


il 


III 


■M 


106 


NIMROD    IN    THE    NORTH. 


i 


iin  instance  of  an  ingenious  man  of  liis,  named  Jei-emy,  having  woven 
from   this  inner  fleece    taken  from  the   musk-ox,    a  pair    of  stock- 
ings, wliich  were  as  fine  and  durable  as  any  of  tlie  best  sillten  nuike.     One 
can  hardly  help  feeling  a  desire,  impractical  as  it  seems,  that  these 
boreal  brutes  might  be  domesticated,  as  they  could  be  made  to  subserve 
so  many  practical  purposes  of  food,  transportation  and  clothing,  in  a 
country  where  every  little  help  that  can  be  got  becomes  so  invalua- 
ble.    During  the  short  summer  months,  just  after  the  inner  fleece  is 
shed,  it  is  still  found  matted  in  the  h)ng,  black  luiir,  and  is  only  pre- 
vented from  falling  to  the  ground  by  this  inter- weaving  process.  '  This 
was  especially  noticeable  on  a  number  that  we  killed  on  the  20th  of 
April.     At  a  distance  they  were  as  mucli  blotched  by  this  wool  as  the 
American  antelope  or  an  Indian  "calico"   pony.     We  could  readily 
comb  it  out  with  our  fingers,  and  the  whalers  tell  me  that  they  have 
known  the  finest  mattresses  to  be  made  from  it  where  they  could  cull 
enough  from  the  robes  brought  them  for  trade. 

The  short,  curly  hair  on  their  low  foreheads  is  very  often  found 
matted  in  little  balls  or  snuill  lumps  with  ordinary  dirt  and  grass,  show- 
ing unmistakably  that  they  use  their  head  and  horns  in  tearing  up  the 
earth.     This  they  have  often  been  s-en  to  do  by  hunters,  when  closely 
pressed  and  brought  to  bay  by  tliem  ;  but  as  they  are  seldom  liunted  in 
their  isolated  grazing  districts,  this  is  hardly  a  fair  theory  to  account 
for  its  constancy,  and  we  nuiy  suppose  that  their  head  and  horns  are 
mostly  used  in  this  nuuiner  in  removing  the  snow  from  the  mossy  and 
grassy  parches  where  tliey  graze  in  the  winter  time,  oi-  wliile  thesnow 
is  covering  tlie  gi-ound.     Theii-  curving  horns,  from  their  peculiar  shape, 
Avould  certainly  nuike  very  efl'ective  snow  shovels.    Following  a  herd  of 
grazing  oxen,  one  sees  everywhere  black  spots  on    the  hill-side,  and 
even  in  the  valleys  and  the  deei)est  siu^w,  where  they  have  pawed  or 
"horned"  down  to  the  earth  and  gotten  at  the  moss,"  the  very  riclu'st 
beds  of  which  they  never  fail  to  detect,  probably  by  their  power  of 
scent  through  the  jiorous  snow. 

The  shape  of  these  weapons  of  offense  nnd  der.Mise  is  certainly  most  ^ 
peculiar,  and  worth  describing.     Starting  IVom  the  middle  line'of  (he 
forehead,  in  the  l)u]l.  at  wliich  point  the  horns  aiv  joined  base  to  base, 


THE   MUSK-OX. 


107 


tliey  present  a  thick,  flat  plaie  or  shield,  of  romigated  horn,  about 
a  foot  in  width.  As  tliese  wide,  flat  shields  of  horn  circle  around  the 
eyes  at  a  distance  of  about  two  or  three  inches,  their  outer  edges  are 
gradually  incurvated  downward  until  aliout  four  or  live  inches  from 
the  eye  is  reached,  when  a  perfect  horn  is  formed  whose  cross-section 
would  be  a  circle  or  nearly  one.  From  here  it  tapers  gradually,  like 
the  common  ox's  horn,  to  its  end,  curling  upward  near  its  extremity 
with  a  jaunty  curve  worthy  of  a  Limerick  flsh-hook,  and  looldng 
wo?iderfully  well  placed  for  assisting  a  man  up  in  the  world  ! 

To  the  natives  of  the  north,  within  whose  country  these  cattle  roam, 
these  horns  afford  many  useful  implements  of  the  chase  and  household 
utensils,  and  they  thoroughly  comprehend  the  well-knovvn  principle  of 
steaming  and  boiling  the  horn  in  order  to  render  it  soft  and  pliable 
while  it  is  being  worked  and  fashioned  into  these  implements  and 
utensils.  The  native  bow  I  have  spoken  of  already  as  being  usually 
made  of  two  or  three  sections  of  musk-ox  horn,  tipped  with  the  shorter 
horn  of  the  reindeer,  the  whole  being  flrmly  lashed  with  a  braid  made 
from  the  sinews  on  the  superficial  dorsal  muscles  of  tlie  reindeer,  run- 
ning the  whole  length  of  the  back  of  the  bow,  to  give  it  strength  and 
elasticity.  I  found  the  Eslcimo  of  King  William  Land  and  vicinity 
using  coi)per  stripped  from  Sir  John  Franklin's  ships  to  rivet  their 
bows  together.  Except  as  children's  playthings  of  the  chase,  to  shoot  at 
ptarmigans,  and  a  few  other  spoi-ts  of  that  character,  bows  and  arrows 
have  entirely  disappeared,  wherever  intercourse  with  the  Hudson's  Bay 
Company  or  American  whalers  has  placed  fire-arms  and  ammunition  in 
the  hands  of  the  natives,  and  this  includes  the  whole  of  the  great  Eskimo 
or  Innuit  family,  except  those  stretched  along  the  shores  of  the  Arctic 
Ocean  from  about  King  William  Laiul  on  the  east  to  the  furthest 
poinii  reached  by  American  whalers  coming  from  the  Pacific  on  the 
west. 

Another  implement  largely  used  which  is  made  from  the  splayed 
base  of  a  musk-ox's  horn  is  the  Eskimo  drinking  cu])  oi'  ladle, 
which  liolds  from  a  pint  to  a  couple  of  quarts.  They  also  subserve  a 
purpose  moreinteresting  Hum  drinking  cui)s,  which  I  will  briefly  describe. 
One  of  these  cups,  holding  about  a  pint,  is  tied  or  neatly  lashed  to  the 


f:   :UMi 


,lf 


Li  ; 

K  ■ 

108 


NIMliOD    IN    THE    NORTH. 


en.lof  a  strong,  lu,],,  fro.u  six  to  eight  feet  in  length,  so  ns  to  iV,nn  n 
sm:,ll  scoop,  and  with  a,  eliisel  similarly  n.onnte.l,  tlie  tu<.  a.e  usedfor 
a.gging.  through  tlie  thick  i<.e  of  a  hike  or  river  to  tlie  water  Vneath 
A  canii)  IS  always  picked  near  a  lake  or  river  which  the  Eskin.o  know 
by  certain  signs  has  not  yet  frozen  to  the  bottom.      This  fact  is  readily 
as-erta.ned  by  placing  their  liattened  png  noses  in  close  proximity  to 
til.' npper  surface,  when  the  pec.diar  hues,  which  they  perceive  imli- 
catetlie  pr. vs. nee  or  absence  of  water.     AVhile  most  of  the  party  are 
bmlding  their  huts  of  snow  Tor  the  night's  encampment,  some  one  "takes 
tlu'  ice  scoop  and  chisel,  wanders  out  on  the  frozen  lake,  and  selects  a 
place  for  his  operations.     He  then  digs  a  hole  with  the  chisel  about  a 
foot  or  eighteen  inches  in  diameter,  and  of  nearly  the  same  depth,  by 
repeated  verti.-al  strokes,  and  when   the  chopped  ice  or  debris  thus 
iormed  commences  choking  this  instrument,  it  is  removed  with  the  ice- 
scoop,  and  this  alternation  of  cutting  and  removal  with  ice-chisel  and 
loe-scoopis  kept  up  until  water  is  readied,  at  generally  from  six  to 
seven  feet,  the  deepest  I  ever  saw  being  eight  feet  four  inches      This 
digging  requires  far  more  dexterity  aiul  practice  than  one  would  at  tirst 
s.giit  imagine   from  the  simple  explanation.     The  beginner  linds  it 
almost  impossible  to  keep  the  hole  from  rapidly  tapering  to  a  point  lono- 
before  the  water  is  reached,  or,  in  short,  to  prevent  the  intende.l  cxwZ 
der  from  becoming  a  cone.      Moreover,    if    the   debris  be  too  f.'eely 
chopped,  it  becomes  reduced  to  a  sort  of  ice-dust  which  will  pack  so  tirml  y 
toward  the  finishing  of  the  water-hole  that  the  edge  of  the  scoop  cannot  l^e 
wedged  under  it,  with  its  limited  play  of  action.     The  children  and  old 
women  of  the  village  may  draw  many  a  meal  of  goodly-sized  salmon 
through  this  avenue,  and  this  necessitates  that  the  hole  should  be  of 
fair  size  througluMit.     One  of  the  most  annoying  events  of  my  sled.-e- 
jouruHy  was,  after  a  hmg  and  unsuccessful  att.Mupt  to  .-atch  som.'thim- 
at  one  of  these  water-holes,  to  liiid  myself  sudd-nly  at  one  end  and  a 
big  salmon  at  tlu>  other  end  of  a  strong  sinew  tish-line.  separated  by  an 
ice-hol.  through  wl,i,.h  neither  of  ns  could  pass.     Many  other  iinple- 
ments  ami  utensils  are  ingeniously  constructed  from  this  horny  matter 
furnished  by  the  musk-ox. 

The  range  of   musk-cattle  is   quite    extensive.     They   ocrupy  the 


THE    MUSK-OX.  jyy 

extrenu.  northern  shores  of  Greenland,  on  l.otli  the  east  and  tlie  west 
coasts,  as  lar  as  they  have  been  explored  ;  and  these  two  ranges  are 
probably  conneetedaronnd  the  northernmost  point  of  this  great  polar 
continent.     Tliey  occur  on  both  shies  of  Snnth  Sound,  and  in  general 
frecp.ent  Arctic  America  fro.n  latitude  00°  to  7!)°  north,  and  from  lon- 
gitude 07°  30'  west  (Greenwich)  almost  to  the  Pacific  coast,  or  at  least 
as  far  as  the  lower  waters  of  the  Mackenzie,  where  a,  fine  specimen  was 
procured  only  last  year  (1884),  and  now  ornaments  a  museum  in  civili- 
zation.    It  IS,  however,   in  the   great  stretch  of  hilly  counti-y  Ivin- 
betH^en  North  Hudson's  Bay  and  its  estuaries  on  the  scmth  and  elist'and 
the  Arctic  o(,ean,  with  its  intricate  channels  on  the  north  and  west,  that 
these  animals  are  found  in  the  largest  herds  and   greatest  numbers 
Captain  Hall,  in  his  sledge-journey  from  liepulse  Ear  to  King  AVilliam 
Land,  in  1809,  killed  seventy-nine  musk-oxen,  whose  hides  ahme  wei-hed 
8713  pounds.     Dr.  Rae,  the  Scotch  explorer  of  this  region  of  the  Arctic 
also  secured  large  numbers  of  them.     The  musk-ox  occurs  fossilized  ai 
Eschoscholtz  Bay  on  the  north-west  coast ;  and  the  fossil  oxen  found  in 
different  sections  of  the  Inited  States,  and  which  closely  resemble  the 
nu.sk-ox,  have  be.m  described  l,y  Dr.  Leidy  of  Philadelphia.     These 
were  clothed  in  a  long  fleece,  and  roamed  through  the  Mississippi  Aal- 
ley,  just  l)efore  the  great   drift  period.     Fossil  musk-oxen  exist  in 
Siberia  and  Northern  Europe  ;  but  their  living  descendants,  of  which 
but  one  species  is  known,  are  now  sti-ictly  conlined  to  the  Arctic  and 
sub-Arctic  region  of  the  western  continent. 

The  musk-ox  derives  its  name  fiom  th<>  ])eculiar  odor  which  it  emits 
and  which  to  a  greater  or  less  extent  also  pervades  the  meat  of  the  ani- 
nir.l.  In  the  younger  animals,  however,  it  is  much  mild.^r,  an.l  in  the 
calves  I  have  never  been  able  to  detect  it  at  all.  Much  of  this  odor 
can  be  obviated  by  dressing  the  animal  as  soon  as  killed.  <>speciallv  if 
It  IS  cold  weather  ;  and  this  rule  may  be  said  to  be  more  or  l,>ss  general 
with  all  animals  and  birds  having  disagreeable  odors  peculiar  to  their 
kind. 

I  have  said  the  robes  are  almost  worthless  to  th<>  natives  exce3)t  for 
purposes  of  traffic.  They  are  sometimes  used  to  spread  on  the  snow-bed 
as  the  lirst  layer  of  skins,  in  order  to  protect  the  snow  from  the  heat  of 


f  fl: 


fill 


110 


NIMROD    /N    THE    NORTH. 


the  body  ;  but  even  here  tliey  are  not  nearly  ,sO  serviceable  as  the  robe 
•  of  the  reindeer,   owing  to  the  facility  with  which  the  snow  can  be 
removed  from  the  latter  by  a  few  strokes  of  a  stick.     The  Eskimo  of 
Hayes  River,  who  are  not  armed  and  consequently  can  procure  but  a 
few  reindeer  (whose  hide  is  the  universal  Arctic  clotliing),  often  make 
long  boot-leggings  and  gloves  of  musk-ox  fur ;  and  this  gives  them  a 
peculiarly  wild  and  savage  appearance,  tliat  contrasts  stmngely  with 
other  natives.     The  almost  total  absence  of  wood  in  their  country,  the 
little  they  get  being  obtained  by  barter  with  distant  and  more  fortunate 
tribes,  forces  them  to  use  the  skin  of  the  musk-ox  for  sledging.     The 
ears  and  fore-legs  of  the  skin  being  lashed  almost  together,  a  sledge- 
like front  is  obtained,  and_  the  articles  to  be  transported  are  loaded  on 
the  t.-ailing  body  behind,  the  hair  being  under.     Over  lakes,  rivers  and 
flat  plains  it  is  equal  to  a  wooden  sledge,  but  on  very  uneven  ground  its 
pliability  makes  it  dangerous  to  fragile  loads. 

When  closely  pressed,  the  musk-oxen  do  not  hesitate  to  tlirow  them- 
selves from  the  steepest  and  highest  precipices,  and  the  natives  speak 
of  occasions  where  they  have  secured  them  in  this  manner  without 
wasting  powder  and  lead,  finding  them  dead  at  the  foot  of  the  descent. 
Sir  James  Clarke  Ross  had  a  personal  experience  of  this  kind  in  one  of 
his  Arctic  expeditions. 

McClintock  once  saw  a  cow  on  Melville  Island,  in  the  Parry  Archi- 
pelago, which  was  of  a  pure  white  color,  an  albino  sort  of  deviation  that 
is  known  to  occur  among  the  buffaloes  of  the  plains  at  rare  intervals. 
She  was,  however,  accompanied  by  a  black  calf.  Melville  Island  is 
abundantly  supplied  with  these  oxen,  not  less  than  one  hundred  and 
fourteen  having  been  shot  within  a  year  by  the  crews  of  two  ships 
wintering  there.  When  inhabiting  islands,  they  do  not  seem  to  cross 
from  one  to  another  on  the  ice,  as  tlie  reiiuleer  constantly  do,  and  even 
confine  their  annual  migrations  to  very  limited  areas.  Different  writers 
disagree  as  to  whether  they  can  be  called  migratory  at  all  in  the  strict 
sense  of  the  word. 

If  white  men  are  hunting  them  without  dogs,  they  may  station  them- 
selves about  a  herd,  close  in  to  seventy  or  eighty  yard.<^  and  then,  by 
picking  off  the  restless  ones  first,  so  bewilder  the  remainder  that  with 


THE  MUSK-OX. 


Ill 


fair  luck  they  may  secure  them  all.    There  are  several  instances  of  such 
methods  being  more  or  less  successful. 

I  remember  bein- one  of  a  party  of  six-hve  Innuits  besides  myself- 
who  followed  on  a  fresh  trail  of  a  snudl  herd  of  musk-oxen,  from  about 
nine  o'clock  in  the  morning  until  nightfull,  Avhich  was  four  in  the  after- 
noon.     We  went  at  a  gait  which.would  be  called  a  good  round  "dog- 
trot" for  the  whole  time,  except  for  one  rest  of  a  few  minutes      This 
IS  much  easier  than  one  would  imagine,  with  a  couple  of  dogs  harnessed 
to  you  to  tow  you  along ;  yet  I  confess  I  was  completely  fagged  out 
after  this  little  run  cf  about  forty  miles,  and  in  a  tine  condition  to  be- 
lieve many  stories  of  endurance  while  hunting  game  which  I  had  heard 
them  tell.     The  thermometer  at  camp  registered  05°  below  zero   yet 
there  was  no  suffering  from  the  still  cold  during  such  exercise,  and,  in 
fact,  at  times  I  felt  uncomfortably  warm. 

One  of  their  peculiarities  which  I  have  noticed  is  that,  when  slightly 
wounded,  if  they  have  been  knocked  over  on  their  sides,  they  seem 
perfectly  powerless  to  rise,  either  from  fear  or  from  the  peculiar  forma- 
tion of  their  legs.     Two  of  the  miimnls  we  shot  on  the  29th  of  April 
received  each  a  broken  shoulder  and  were  knocked  on  their  sides  in  a 
way  that  would  not  have  held  a,  wounded  buffalo  down  for  a  minute' 
The  native  men,  women  and  boys  promptly  sat  down  upon  their  heaving 
sides,  evidently  enjoying  the  cruel  sport ;  and  all  the  white  men  joined 
them  for  a  mere  second,  rather  to  please  the:-  savage  allies  than 'them- 
selves, until  I  requested  them  to  dispatch  the  brutes,  whicii  they  did 
by  a  well-directed  heart-tlirust  with  a  snow-knife.     My  natives  spoke 
of  this  occurrence  as  a  rather  common  incident  of  the  musk-ox  battle- 
field. 

From  all  the  above  we  can  see  that  the  musk-ox  is  a  remnant  of  a 
once  great  race,  a  species  that  has  seen  its  best  days  far  in  the  past,  and 
is  slowly  traveling  the  road  to  extinction. 


'  !!f 


1 


1  I 


(JIIAPTER  V. 


NIMUOD    WITH   A   SllDT-CiUN, 


AViiiLK    in    the 
wiiilcr  time  the 


Aicti 


('    1<',U1()11    IS 


ail    :i  linos 


I     ) 


»iir- 


icn   connlrv  for 


t] 


It"!    si)ortsrn!iu 


HUANT   OOCSE 


in  quest  of  any 
kind  of  small 
game,  tlicro  is 
no  i)la('('  on  this 
jilanct  Avhcrc  it 
is  more  plentiful 
(Iniin^  tho  short 
summers,  es- 
IH'cially  of  the 
uciuatic  vari(»ty, 
and  the  lover  of 
dnck-shootiiiff 


CO 


gain  his  fdl  in  a  short  time. 

While  I  was  encainped  in  North  Hudson's  Ray  it 
effort  at  all  to  take  a  shot-gun  out  to  one  of  tl 


uld 


cei 


tainly 


was  considered  no 
le  many  lakes  in  this  vicin- 


ity and  get  a  good  mess  for  our  little  ])arty.     Tlu^se  lakes,  whicl 
nothing  more  than  great  impervious  basins  of  granite,  full  of  d 


1  wei'e 


lamaire 


water,  were  so  numerous  and  oftentin 


les  so  large  that  1  do  not  believe 
I  exaggerate  when  I  say  their  superficial  measurement  would  be  almost 
equal  to  that  of  one-third  of  the  whole  country  thereabouts.     Certainly 


NlMItOD     WITH    A    SllUT-aVN.  113 

tlw'y  w<Mv  ii  itiosf,  iimioyin^r  in,|M.,Iini..iit  to  inl.'.ml  fnivcliiiK  in  the  Hurn- 
111. T,  ami  till  .'q.i.'illy  fornnialc  Ixx.n  in  lli..  winter,  wlum  w.^  lollowcd 
tlH'ir  l„vel  Hurfacns  witli  (l..«-f.-!inis  and  ,sle(lg<.,s.  Kacli  ix.nd  (u- lake 
<-()nf!.inf'(l  its  Iitt]«i  family  or  laniiiics  oC  ♦•i.lrr  ducks,  and  if  it  was  at  all 
larg.',  and  esp.rially  if  it  wasdotL-d  wiHi  flat,  grassy  islands,  whicli 
wouldgive  then,  protection  wliile  breeding,  ihey  wotdd  be  in  large  bands 
over  its  surface.  Th(.y  only  iid.abit  th.^  ponds  and  lakes  near  tlie  sea- 
shore until  their  young  are  large  enough  to  ily.  The.i  they  congregate 
intlKj  liords,  inlets  and  bays  of  the  sea,  and  oftentii.ies  in  iniinenao 


A\    AKCTIC    LAKK. 

nujnlx'rs.  Tlie  greatest  trouble  we  liad  was  to  penetrate  tlieir  iron-clad 
coating  of  feathei-s,  a  niajoi-ity  of  those  secnr(>d  being  shot  in  the  head 
or  neck.  As  small  shot  was  ecpially  effacious  in  this  method  of  .de- 
struction, we  adopted  it,  with  the  elf(>ct  of  increasing  our  scores. 

Our  first  efforts  were  often  laughable.     Colonel  Gilder  one  day  turned 


lit"'' 
III 


j 


■  ;   ! 

i! 

: 

i  I 

^ 

\ 

i;    \ 

1     ; 

ii!  ; 

, 

114 


MM  ROD    IX    TIII'J    AOIi'JJ/. 


a  duck's  feet  into  tlic  air  with  a  shot  at  al)nut  thirty  yards  distaiK  m,  and 
when  the  wind  had  blown  it  nearlv  into  shore,  all  tli<-  time  kickiii" 
vi^r„|.(,„.sly,  the  Colonel,  desirousof  I'aeilitatin^^its  itro^ress,  eoinnienced 
throwing'  lai-^rn  stones  just  beyond  it.  This,  however,  had  the  eifect  of 
brin^nii^r  it  ,i<;ht  side  up  in  a  liurry.  The  duek  looked  around  aston- 
ished, sneezed  a  ('ouple  of  times,  and  when  the  next  stone  splaslied 
alongside  of  ii,  disappeared  in  tlie  water  and  came  up  over  a  lumdred 
yards  away,  wliere  it  coolly  ])roceeded  to  arrange  its  rumpled  featliers 
after  their  hist  disturbance,  (joidd  any  of  the  many  dealers  or  manu- 
facturers in  shot-guns  get  a  good  record  on  the  Arctic  duck.  I  think 
they  could  rest  i)erfectly  satisfied  with  this  practical  test. 

The  compass  is  a  sluggish,   uni-eliable  instrument  in  the  northern 
part  of  this  bay,  and  it  became  necessary  to  establish  a  good  long  north 
and  south  line  whilec(mductingmy  survey,  and,  f or  reasons  unnecessary 
to  explain,  i  f'    ;t  upon  the  expedient  of  doing  so  by  the  culmination 
of  Jupiter.     \Iy  north  point  was  fixed  near  camp,  and  the  south  one 
approxima'.ely  about  a  mile  away  across  a  lake,  and  one  night  I  sent 
Henry   Klutschak  thei'e  to  Mx   it   as  accurately  as   possible    by  this 
method.     I  gave  him  a  small  torch  to  define  his  positior,  and  then  ex- 
pected to  put  him  on  the  meridian  by  signals  at  the  instant  of  the 
culmination,  which  I  knew.     My  shot-gun  case  contained  ji  duck-call, 
and  I  fixed  upon  this  as  a  good  instrument  to  be  lieai'd  a  long  distance, 
and  told  Henry  that  one  (piack  would  mean  the  right,  while  two  would 
mean  the  left.     The  night  came  and  when  Henry  took  his  place,  I  could 
see  that  he  would  be  out  of  the  way  by  a  quarter  of  an  hour  ahead.     I 
accordingly  gave  a  "  cpiack  "  that  sent  him  nearly  as  far  out  of  the  way 
on  the  other  side.     •'  Quack,  quack  !  "  was  sent  to  him,  and  he  had  just 
g(me  about  half-way  back,  and  got  nearly  where  I  wanted  him,  when 
there  came  floating  over  the  lakeanother  "  quack,  quack  !  "  that  dragged 
hint  away  out  again.     A  single  signal  from  my  call   to  rectify  this  was 
an;rvvere(^  by  about  half  a  dozen  single  and  double  calls  fiom  all  over 
the  lake,  and  I  soon  found  that  I  had  stirred  up  about  a  hundi'ed  ducks, 
all  of  them  fully  educated  in  til     irt  of  surveying,  and  most  strenuous 
rivals  in  sui>erintending  this  \k  .ticular  job.     I  at  once  gave  u])  the 
"quack"  method  and  ivtunied  to  ij.e  standard  rules  of  the  regular 


NlMkOD     WITH    A    i<HOT-(jiVN. 


115 


school ;  but  I  exi>..n,l..d  u  1.,.^  of  shot  on  tluU  lake  next  day,  und  we 
lived  lor  a  week  on  -J„pir..,  bi,,i,;^  ,,,  h,,,,^  ,.^^„^^^  ^,^^^^^ 

One  writer  say«  that  the  mother  will  lead  her  youn^^  ones  to  the 
water  almost  as  .oo.i  as  they  ereep  froiu  the  eg^^s.  (ioi,-  before  (hem 
to  the  shore  they  trip  after,  and  when  she  reaehes  the  ed^^e  she  take 
them  <m  her  bac.,  ami  swin.s  a  few  yards  with  them,  when  she  dives 
and  the  little  ones  are  left  floating  on  the  surface  and  are  obliged  to' 
take  care  <,f  themselves.  After  being  once  initiated  to  the  water,  I 
tlunk  they  never  return  to  land.     From  these  birds  comes  the  soft  dovvn 


,SWfh 


EIDKR    DFOKS. 

so  well  known  in  civilized  countries,  and  which  the  female  plucks  from 
her  breast  to  line  her  nest  with.     :  i  the  sub-Arctic  regions  people  re^m- 
larly  rob  them  of  this,  and  it  forms  an  important  item  of  commeire 
Tf  robbed,  the  female  bird  makes  nnother  nest  -.  the  snme  wa  v,  and  the 
thud  time  she  is  compelled  to  call  on  the  master  of  the  houseliold  for  a 


-*  J 


I.  i'l 


Pii 

,1  ■ 

I 


(iff! 


if 


1% 


! 


116 


NIMROD    IN    THE    NORTH. 


supply  of  down  from  liis  breast.  Each  female  yields,  it  is  said,*  id)out 
four  ounces  of  this  material,  and  so  soft  and  light  is  it  that  it  has  to  be 
mixed  with  mosy,  roots  and  gravel  by  the  old  bird  to  prevent  the  wind 
from  scattering  it.  AVhen  tirst  gathered,  therefore,  it  weighs  two  or 
three  times  as  much  as  it  does  when  it  reaches  the  shops.  On  King 
AVllliam  Land  my  party  of  four  in  one  day  saw  abont  foity  of  these 
nests,  visited  by  a  shower  of  young  ducklings.  In  some  i)arts  of  the 
Arctic,  slippers  made  from  the  breast  of  the  eider  are  nsed  insteaxl  of 
the  inside  reindeer  stockings,  but  they  do  not  wear  so  long,  and  are 
ruined  by  dami:>ness. 

I  have  said  that  the  eider  favors  the  little  islands  in  the  large  lakes, 
or  those  along  the  sea-shore,  for  protection  while  breeding,  the  Arctic 
fox  being  the  most  inveterate  egg-sucker  I  have  ever  met,' and  conse- 
quently their  w(mst  enemy.     One  method  they  have  of  circumventing 
this  pest  in  Spitzbergen  is  too  cnrious  to  pass  by.     If  driven  off  their 
nests,  they  hastily  draw  the  down  of  the  nest  over  the  eggs,  and  glne  it 
with  a  copious  supply  of  yellow  fluid,  which  not  only  retains  the  warmth 
of  the  eggs  for  a  l(mgtin)e.  but  is  of  so  extremely  olfensive  a  nature  that 
the  foxes  will  not  touch  the  eggs  tainted  with  it.     The  eider  ducks  of 
Hudson's  Bay  are  mostly  the  connncm  variety,  all  of  those  cf  King: 
Wiiliam  Land  being  tlie  crested  or  king-eider.      Yet,  an  indimMvn't 
observer  Avould  believe  that  there  were  two  distinct  varieties,  so  widely 
different  is  the  plumage  of  the  sexes,  and  the  fact  that  when  in  large 
bands  they  ar.    nearly  always  sepai'ate.     The  male  is  crested  witira 
fleshy  topknot    of  the  most  vivid  yellow,  and  his  whoh"  make-up  is 
the  most  conspicuous  contrast  of  complementary  colors,  all  of  the  live- 
liest hues,  while  the  female  is  a  mass  of  rusty,  brownish-black,  almost 
the  exact  color  of  the  half-dead  mos,  in  which  she  makes  hei-  nest,  and 
where  she  will  never  be  seen  until,  with  a  whin-  like  a  ruffed  grouse, 
she  spiings  up  right  under  youi-  feet.     Sitting  in  a  line  on  the  edge  of 
a  large  ice-cake,  the  males  look  like  a  i-egiment  of  hussars,  oi'  a  scpiad- 
ron  of  dashing  dragoons  in  full  uniform,  while  tlie  females  resemble  a 
procession  of  Carthusian  monks  in  their  s<)ml)er  garl). 

We  almost  lived  on  their  eggs  for  a  shoi-t  time  while  in  King  AVil- 
Ham  Land,  and  the  suddenness  with  which  they  became  addled  w;is 


NIMROD    WITH   A    SHOT-GUN  117 

wonderfuJ.  One  day  nine  eggs  were  obtained,  all  of  them  good,  as  had 
been  the  previous  ones,  but  the  next  day  (tlie  dates  I  have  always  re- 
gretted not  recording)  twelve  out  of  thirteen  were  addled,  so  they  had 
to  be  thrown  away,  and  after  that  not  one  good  one  could  be  found, 
although  we  kept  testing  them  for  thr(>e  or  four  days,  until  we  were 
convmced  tluit  further  efforts  would  only  result  in  an  unwarranted 
destruction  of  small  ducks.  The  nuinner  in  which  the  young  ones  ap- 
peared a])out  three  weeks  later  was  almost  on  a  par,  and  it  seemed  as 
3t  we  had  suddenly  been  visited  by  a  shower  of  them. 


|; 


live- 


IIO.ME   OF  THE  EIDER  DrCKR. 

One  day,  in  the  early  part  of  September,  I  walked  along  the  eastern 
shore  of  Terror  15a y,  and  liei-e  I  saw  the  eiders  marshaling  for  their 
southern  migrations.  This  shore  is  seven  or  eight  miles  long,  and  from 
Its  very  southern  cape  until  T  reached  its  head,  I  was  i)assecl  by  strag- 
gling bands,  reaching  half  a  mile  to  a  mile  frcmi  slun-e,  the  outlyim^ 
members  of  each  little  ])arty  Ix.ing  sufficiently  mixed  to  say  the  whole 
was  one  vast  band  of  (Mder  ducks.  '  nose  nearest  the  shore,  as  I 
approached,  ke])t  Hying  out  a  couple  of  hundred  yards,  and  this  kej.t  a 
black  semi-circle  of  about  that  radius  constantly  on  my  left  as  I  walked 
iilong. 

Hut  of  all  ti.' Arctic  ducks  that  will   force  themselves  upon  your 


'! 


t    '■ 


Mi 


t «'  « 


^1- 


118 


NIMROD    m    THE    NORTH. 


notice    tlicre  is   none    liko    the 


•old  wife  •'  ov  "old  sciuaw-  of  the  winter  in  teini 


noisy  tauk-soJc  of  the  Innnits— the 


Jeriito  zont's  [/fcraldit. 


"N 


¥^r 


lV*V 


^^:  f'^^-K 


V<^M'- 


> 


(K ; ,  'm\ 


P  i 


} 


EIDER   rH'CFCS    I>l!i;i'Ai;i.\<i   To   (;(.   sol   III. 

g/acio//sK    T  liMv<.n..v<Ts..rn  tlinuin  Iin-v  H.K.ks  i,,  ,|„.  nortli.  hut  (hey 
nw.k.  up  m  „nis....„Hl  v.-in..(y  <.rsni,n.ls..,Il  ,1,..^  |,,u  i„  n,nnh..rs.    This 


KUIliUD     Wnil    A     SllOT-UUX. 


119 


|;aiTul,ra»  |,i,,l,  known  to  l,„v,.  Um-e  ,„■  lam-  dim-ivnt  call,  in  the 
teni,Matt.  z,,,,,.,,   sefins  to  nmltiiJr  tlitin  „,  it  ,i,its  tl,„  Xortli  to 


)ii%:fnE^ 


*iMy!i 


bivt'd. 


ASSKMIU.Y    OF    ITFFI.NS.    i:i('. 

And,  whenever  w,.  asked  any  .lueslicns  ,»r  „ur  Innuif  <-on.ra(:od 


1 


ti.i 


i     '     ! 


! 


a--"-^    "f^  ' 


120 


NIMROD    IN    THE    NORTH. 


':  ?■; 


|h 

regarding  tlie  numProus,  weird,  uneartlily  and  variegated  sounds  that  we 
constantly  iieard,  the  stereotyped  answer  was,  "  taulc  sole  !  tank  sole  '  " 
until  we  accredited  every  thing  to  tliis  niocliing  bird  of  the  North-the 
ventriloqnist,  as  Colonel  Gilder  called  him,  for  he  seemed  to  unite  this 
accomplishment  with  his  many  others.     This  duck  loves  the  North  and 
sticks  to  the  dismal  regions  long  after  other  species  liave  left,  or  as' long 
as  he  can  lind  the  least  bit  of  open  water.     As  long  as  a  few  remain  in  a 
hike  near  by,  the  Arctic  does  not  seem  in  the  least  deserted.     I  have  no 
desire  to  speak  further  of  the  many  kinds  of  ducks  familiar  to  both 
zones,  and  witli  which  the  sportsman  comes  in  contact  every  shootino- 
season  at  his  own  home.  ° 

In  no  place  in  the  world  is  aquatic  life  so  abundant  as  in  the  polar 
ivgions  during  the  summer.     The  instance  I  have  given  of  the  eiders  in 
terror  Eay  is  but  one  in  many  constantly  encountered  in  polar  litera- 
ture.    The  little  auks  or  rotges,  says  a  writer  who  has  been  in  Spitz- 
bergen,  are  s„  numerous  that  he  has  frequently  seen  an  uninterrupted 
line  oi  them  extending  to  a  distnnc..  of  more  than  three  miles,  and  so 
close  together  that  thirty  have  fallen  at  one  shot.     This  living  column 
might  be  about  six  yards  broad  and  as  nuiny  deep,  so  that,  allowing 
sixteen  birds  to  the  cubic  yard,  there  would  be  four  mill icm  of  these 
little  creatures  on   the  wing  at  one  time.     This  number  may  ai.pear 
greatly  exaggerated,  but  when  we  are  told  that  these  auks  congre-^ate 
m  such  swarms  as  to  darken  the  air  like  a  passing  cloud,  and  that  tlieir 
chorus  is  heard  distinctly  at  a  distance  of  four  or  five  miles,  these  num- 
bers do  not  appear  so  great.     The  dovekies  are  the  most  numerous  of 
the  summer  ducks  in  the  northern  part  of  the  bay,  and  they  are  especi- 
ally thick    about    Depot   Island,  whose  Innuit    name  is  PiUwulil- 
meaning  the  island  of  birds'  nests,  and  where  the  dovekies  deposit  their 
greenish,  blotched  eggs  in  innumerable  quantities.     They  seem  to  make 
no  nest  whatever,  but  crawl  in  under  the  broken  granite  boulders  and 
lay  in  such  concealed  ,>laces  that  a  white  man  will  look  over  a  lai-e 
tract  and  lind  none,  an.l  a  fewTnnuit  children  will  follow  and  till  th.'^r 
pockets  an<l  han.ls.     Tlie  tirst  year-'78-we   were  too  late  for  their 
eggs,  which  are  here  collected  in  countless  scores  in  Julv  but  tint 
same  year,  on  the  6th  of  September,  we  visited  Depot  Island,  and  souie 


NIMROD     WITH    A    SHOT-GUN. 


121 


of  the  Inniiits  we  hud  with  us  collected  uud  g:ive  to  us  about  fifty  of 
the  squabs  they  caught  iu  the  rocks,  which  were  theu  old  enough  co  eat 
Colonel  Gilder  and  1  atteiupted  to  kill  a  few  of  the  older  ones  with  our 
shot-guns,  but  with  less  success,  as  they  soon  scampered  some  two  or 


IMm 


DOVEKIE   on   COMMON-  GlILLEMOT. 

thrt^p  hundred  yru'ds  out  to  sen,  where  tliey  rosolutely  persisted  in 
reniiiining  while  ^\^^  were  ou  the  island. 

While  on  the  Polai'is  Ex]ie(liti()n,  Joe,  who  had  been  out  hunting  in 
Febi'uary,  reported  seeing  tliree  dovekies  in  the  open  water,  saying  they 
were  the  young  of  last  year  and  that  it  was  w<'ll  known  ainong  the 


d     J=»» 


!■' 


fl',    I? 


i  f 


122 


NIMROD    m    THE    NORTH. 


Innuits  that  this  species  of  bird  spent  tlieir  first  winter  in  tlie  \rrtic 
regions.  Joe  spoke  to  me  of  tliis  also,  and  added  tliat  wlien  tliey 
remain  they  turn  almost  white  like  the  ptarmigan.  I  luive  never  seen 
dovekies  in  winter,  but  my  journeys  have  been  such  that  they  could 


;=;!    i 


=,N 


ARCTIC  PUFFIN. 


easily  have  escaped  my  observation.  The  skin  of  their  feet  and  leg«  is 
of  a  beautiful  bright  red.  and  quite  conspicuous  when  they  are  sitting 
on  the  rocks  near  the  shore.  The  native  women  take  their  feet  as  weU 
as  those  of  other  web-footed  birds,  ren.ove  the  bones  from  them',  inflate 
them  and  allow  them  to  ren.aiu  s<.  until  dry,  when  they  are  Jilled  with 


NLmOD     WITH    A    SHOT-GUN  123 

reindeer  tallow  {(oodnoo),  vvhicli  is  then  dealt  out  to  the  children  as 
candy. 

Tlie  Tnnuits  rake  great  pleasure  in  hunting  small  game  with  a  shot- 
gun, and  it  must  be  the  true  spirit  of  the  xNimrod  that  prompts  them, 
for  the  return  in  pounds  of  food  can  in  no  way  remunerate  them  for  the 
time  lost  and  cost  of  powder  and  shot.     I  have  several  times  known 
Innuits  to  have  the  preference  of  shot  or  bullets,  in  exchange  for  some 
arti<-le  they  desired  to  trade,  and  they  would  invariablv  choose  the 
former,  with  which  they  probably  would  not  secure  a  dozen  ducks, 
whde  with  the  latter  they  would  certainly  secure  as  nu.ny  reindeer 
walrus  or  musk-oxen.     Toolooali  enjoyed  a  good  duck-hunting  tour 
with  all  the  eagerness  of  an  amateur  in  the  art.     We  will  not  si)eak  of 
the  phalaropes,  the  dabchicks,  the  grebes,  the  sandpipers,  the  gulls,  the 
snipe  and  nuuiberless  other  of  the  water-loving  varieties  of  birds  for 
we  only  saw  them  hereand  there  without  adding  any  knowledge  of  their 
habits,  and  seldom  added  any  of  them  to  our  "  bags."     The  Tnnuits  of 
some  localities  that  I  visited  separate  the  year  into  moons  instead  of 
months  (that  is,  about  thirteen  months),  and  each  one  is  nau.ed  for 
some  event  conspicuous  at  that  time,  as  the  arrival  or  departure  of  some 
of  the  migratory  birds,  the  goose  month,  the  dovekie  month,  and  so 
forth. 

To  the  sportsman  who  finds  pleasure  in  pursuing  the  partrido-e  the 
pheasant,  the  prairie  chicken,  or  the  grouse,  the  Arctic  grouse  or  ptar- 
niigan  would  probably  be  his  first  gan.e  with  the  shot-gun,  as  soon  as 
they  put  in  an  appearance,  for  they  seem  to  beexceedim-lv  ha.-d  to  find 
111  the  summer.     At  this  season  of  the  year  the  ptaruiio^.n's  plumage 
IS  ot  a  pale  brown  color,  mottled  with  small  l,ars  and  dusky  spots     Tlie 
head  and  neck  are  marked  with  broad  bars  of  black,  rust  color  and 
white,  the  wings  and  breast  being  of  the  latter  c-olor.     I  noticed  while 
on  our  sledge-journey,  that  it  was  particularly  the  stormy  weather  that 
brought  us  in  contact  with  the  many  bands  of  ptarn.igan  that  seem  to 
enjoy  this  sort  of  bluster  ;  and  they  cheered  the  dreary  waste  of  winter 
when  uearly  all  other  life  had  taken  up  its  journey  f<.r  the  n.ore  con- 
genial South.     With  his  b.other  of  the  black  coat,  the  Arctic  raven,  he 
is  the  only  hving  winged  thing  that  remains  on  land  to  cheer  the  Arctic 


ii|||i 


1 


124 


if 


NIMIiOD    IN    THE    NORTH. 


winter.  Long  after  tlip  great  Hocks  of  dovekies,  tlio  noisy  loons  and 
stately-flying  burgomaster  gulls  have  dei)arted  from  the  north,  the 
ptarmigan  ni:iy  be  found  diligently  searching  the  barren,  rugged  hill- 
tops for  his  daily  food. 

In  the  summer  time,  or  breeding  season,  they  are  rarely  seen,  and 
then  have  plumage  so  much  like  that  pr«'vailing  <'olor  of  the  mossy 
plains  as  to  alford  them  splendid  protection.     They  are  then  only  seen 


>  ' 

>\    r; 

N 

f'v/;^   • 

J- 

i          T"          _, 

'.V 

—       v?             _* 

'A 

^^ 

< 

"\ 

.   .•   \ 

-:^ 

'"^^  ^ 

( 

^^ 

'  "  -- 

^-.  N 

S-^- 

i^^"U 

t-   1^ 

r"- 

N  <^'- 

r'^^- 

■^;3' 

^ 

>       >-. _^ 

C. 

r 

— ~  ~ 

if-r  ^ 

THE   T'TAUMIGA^f    I\    SlMMKi:. 

singly,  or  at  most  in  pairs,  but,  as  winter-time  approaches,  thev  flock 
togellier,  often  in  bandsof  hundn^ls.  TluM^r  plumagv  is  then  of  \a pure 
white,  and  they  are  so  heavy  that  they  waddle  abont  like  over-fed  farm 
ducks.  Tlie  sportsman  at  this  time  seldom  lias  much  trouble  in  secur- 
ing ten  or  flfteen  out  of  a  flock,  for  when  frightened  they  fly  but  a  short 
distance,  and  for  live  ,.r  six  times  after  firing  they  will  allow  him  to 
approacli  very  close,  l)ut  when  they  have  been  hunted  a  great  deal  with 


NIMROD     WITH    A    SHOTGUN.  12s 

firearms  they  become  as  sliy  as  any  of  the  grouse  family  in  warmer 
climes.  They  are  seldom  hunted  by  the  Innuits  unless  th.  pportuni- 
ties  are  brought  directly  before  them  while  in  other  pursui^  ,  I  Inve 
often  seen  the  small  boy.  using  them  for  a  target,  when  practichig  with 
bows  and  arrows,  and  they  were  occasionally  successfid  in  securing  one 


THE   PTARMIGAN   IN   AVINTER, 

in  this  way,  driving  them  along  the  ground  like  so  many  chickens  in 
the  poultry  yai'^  It  is  said  that  the  Greenland  natives  hold  the  idea 
that  ptarmigan,  ,..  order  to  provide  for  their  winter  food,  garner  in  a 
supply  of  berries  into  the  hollows  of  the  rocks,  and  during  very  severe 


If 


126 


NIMROl)    IX    THE    NOUril. 


U 


cold  tlioy  form  iviivats  under  the  n\mw  und  ^iiiicli  togctlier  to  keep 
w.'iriii.  This  would  Imrdly  coiucicb  with  the  I'lU't  that  I  liave  seen  tiiem 
fseekiu^MlK'ii- food  iit  jill  mouths  of  the  year,  und  at  ull  temperatures 
duriuu"  the  winter,  uidess  tlieir  luihirs  vary  in  the  two  countries,  TJiey 
are  excellent  food  and  tnsfe  vei-y  much  like  tlu?  representatives  of  tlieir 
•species  in  the  lower  /ones.  1  have  never  lieard  them  utter  any  crv 
beyond  a  coarse  cluckin.ir  when  wacUlIing  along  on  the  ground  in  fnmt 
ofai.erson,  jind  my  (pieries  among  the  natives  failed  to  extend  my 
information.  T  have  noted  this  simi)ly  because  it  has  been  represented 
that  this  bird  has  a  most  singular  and  extraordinary  voice,  whicli  it 
exerts  oidy  in  the  nighttime,  and  instances  are  given  where  supersti- 
tious iieople  have  been  frightened  beyond  measure  by  hearing  it. 

So  white  is  the  plumage  of  these  northern  grouse,  that  when  they  are 
squatting  in  the  siunv  a  person  searching  for  them  may  get  within  two 
or  thi-ee  yards  befoi-e  he  sees  them,  if  lie  be  not  apprised  of  their 
position  even  then  by  the  rapid,  woodcock-like  "whir"  of  their  retreat. 
Especially  Is  this  the  case  in  the  cold,  blustering,  snowy  weatlier. 

But  bird-life  is  not  the  only  kind  of  game  in  the  frigid  zone  that 
furnishes  food  and  fun  for  th(>doubl(>-barreled  smooth-bore.     'J'here  are 
the  Arctic  hare,  the  fox,  tlie  lemming  and  a  few  other  four-footed  but 
small  fellows,  which  are  valuable  for  i)alate  or  jjcltry  and  generally  the 
most   sagacious  of  all.      Kveiy  now  and  then,   when  on  our  sledgv 
journey,  the  dogs,  half  asleep  as  they  toiled  away  in  their  tiaces,  would 
suddenly  prick  up  their  eais.  and.  if  the  sledge  was  light,  dash  forward 
after  some  unknown  o])ject  M-liich  would  fiiudly  resolve  itself  into  some 
insignijicant  nibbit  trail,  and  as  this  boreal  bunny  is  somewhat  predis- 
]»()sed  to  the  stormiest  of  weather,  like   the  ptarmigan,  he  will  often 
lead  a  team  of  dogs  a  meriy  run  if  tlie  driver  does  not  stop  them, 
imagijiing  they  are  on  the  scent  of  reindeer,  as  they  often  are.    I  always 
found  th.'  rabbits  living  in  the  <'revices  of  the  boulders  heaped  over  each 
other,    the  covering  snow  forming  a    little  h/loo,   which,   with   their 
immense  coat    of    hair,   is  sulfici.'ut  to  i)rotect  them  in   the  coldest 
weather.     1  hav<"  seen  them  in  all  months  of  the  year,  and  if  they  store 
up  a  winter's  sup])ly  of  food  (which   T  do  not  believe  they  do)  they 
certainly  keep  very  busy  in  the  winter,  maintaining  it  by  accessions 


NlMIiOD     WITI      A    SHOT  GUN.  137 

from  other  quarters.  NVhile  prol.ubly  a  tri.lo  .smaller  than  the  jaek- 
mbb.t  ot  the  American  plains,  in  re^^anl  t.  quantity  of  meat,  he  is  hi« 
peer  m  size  if  not  larger,  in  t!ie  winter,  ^vhen  lie  looks  like  a  great 
bum  le  of  white  leathers.  He  is  not  eaten  so  much  by  the  nativCs  as 
by  the  wild  animals-the  foxes,  wolves  and  woheriiies 

Tile  Arctic  fox  i«  much  smaller  than  the  common  variety  we  are  used 


BLrE  AncTIC  FOX. 


to  seeing,  nnd  equally  sagacious.  I  have  seen  several,  but  m  some  way 
Inever  mannged  to  outwit  one  so  far  as  to  procure  his  pelt.  He  wa's 
either  t,K,  far  to  reach  with  the  scattering  arg.nnent  of  a  shot-uun  cr 
tooagile  Tor  a  rifle  in  any  body  s  hands  less  active  than  those  of  T)r 
Carver.  Tt  is  not  often  that  the  natives  get  one  by  shooting,  but  tliev 
manage  to  trap  large  quantities  lor  their  skins,  which  they  trade  to  the 


W 


111  II' 


;  I      4. 
f 


I 


128 


NlMliOl)    IX    Till':    NORTH. 


ArcHfMviiuIemeii :  but  even  tl 


K'ir  iiit'iit  is  not  ivjccit'd  il"  \\u^  laidcr 


IS 


short.     Sonu,'  Arctii!  explorers  Imvc  pronomict'd  tl 

the  t.  bh3,  jiiKi  i)rol)!ihly  it  iiuiy  Im-  by  coniicirison  when  lonn-  isoh'ited 


leir  niHjit  woriiiv  of 


fi'on 


1  Jill  sorts  of  fn'sh  meat.     The  trjii)s  of  tlie  nativ 


es  are  simply  slabs 


ol   iee,  with  fh((  coininoii  ^,^•Ilre-4  si)ria,ii-,  and  when  they  visit  the  traps 
:it  rare  intervals  the  slab  falls  on  the  top  of  a,  small  ivctangular  jxii  of 


ice,    thus   iiiclosini;-  reynard    alive,    as   otherwi 


s(;   when   eiiished   and 


THE    WOLVKiaXK. 

allowed  to  lie,  tlie  skin  in  a  few  honrs  becomes  worthless  and  the  fur 
pulls  out.  These  ice-traps  were  often  seen  about  Hudson's  Bay.  On 
Kini,^  William  Land  the  Netschillidw  built  pens  of  the  slabs  of  sand- 
stone, and  then  set  the  trap  in  winter  by  coverin.u'  it  with  the  usual  sla]> 
of  ice.  ITavin.c:  no  means  of  tradin<,^  off  the  skins,  they  use  them  in 
making  clotlies  for  their  children.     Reynard's  sagacity  extends  beyond 


NIMROD     Vi'ITH   A    SHOT-GUK 


129 


mere  defense,  as  illustnited  in  1 


ing,  lie  iipproaehes  the  shore,  and  (sphisl 


feet,  allures  the  lish  m 


IIS  prociuing  suhsjstenoe.     Wiien  tish- 
ling  in  the  water  with  his  fore- 


effectiveness. 


ar  him— near  enough  to  s]>ring-  upon  them  with 


says  Crantz.     In  North 


similar  to  that  of  the  Esl 
even  the  wolverines,  I  belli 


ern  Hudson's  Jiay,  their  fishing  is 
kimo  dogs,  the  wolves,  the  p.dar  bear,  and 


■ve.     In  this  l):iy  the  rise  and  fall  of  the  t 


— .ide 

IS  great,  and  where  the  rising  tid,.  pours  into  a  lake-like  inlet  with  a 
ro.'ky  mouth,  the  water  in  falling  is  di-nined  tlirougii  great  piles  of  kelp, 
h.'ld  hy  the  roeky  bar,  and  this  entangles  all  the  lish  that  have  been 
unlucky  enough  to  enter  this  trap.     WIimi-ov,  r  y.u-n  an  inlet  is  found 
on  an  island  well  out  at  sea,  there  the  Innuits  store  their  dogs  for  the 
summer,  and  here  they  grow  very  fat ;  and  where  such  lish-t-aps  exist 
along  the  main  sla.re,  there  the  wild,  lish-eating  nnimals  may  be  found 
when  the  ice  has  not  covered  the  bay.    The  lish  usually  caught  is  a  sort 
of  pout,  most  repulsive  in  aj.peu.-uu-e,  and  called  by  the  whalers  kelp- 
lish.    When  Ross  was  on  his  Fn.u.  :in  search  expedition  am   wintering 
in  the  ice,  having  heard  nothing  of  Franklin's  whereabouts,  he  trapped 
a  great  number  of  Arctics  foxe.s,  put  brass  collars  around  their  necks 
having  stamped  in  them  the  position  of  his  ships,  and  turned  them  loose, 
thinking  and  hoping  that  one  might  reach  Franklin's  ships  or  crexvs,  and 
assist  them  in  their  retreat  or  movements  by  such  timely  information. 
The  ermine,  the  lemming  and  the  true  fur-bearing  small  game  of  the 
Arctic,  savor  so  much,  of  the  shop,  so  much  of  the  market  reports  alone, 
that  I  doubt  if  theii  cold-blooded  pursuit  for  mere  gain  would  be  inter- 
esting to  the  reatler. 


I . !' 


;  1 


!*ll 

^i|i 


^PRSKi^M 


X^^V^s-i-^' 


GKAYLING. 


Im§ 


CHAPTEIl  YI. 


NIMKOD   WITH   A   FISII-EOI). 


To  the  devotees  of  Lsaak  Walton,  the  sly  old  trout,  fannhiiv  Idmself 
with  his  fin  under  tlie  deep  shadow  of  an  overhan,i.-inff  willow  or  low 
bush  on  a  hot  summer  day,  winking  and  Idinkingatthe  feathered  hook 
with  a  sort  of  I've-been-there-before  expi-ession  on  his  face;  the  gray- 
ling, with  Ms  voracious  endeavors  to  swallow  hook,  line,  pole* and 
fisherman  ;  the  bass,  the  pike,  the  pickerel  and  all  the  gamy  gladiators 
of  the  genial  climes  are  wanting  in  the  frigid  zones,  yet  there  is  some 
grand  old  sport,  excitement  siuVed  with  danger,  that  sauce  of  man's 
noblest  essays,  in  many  of  the  fishings  of  the  frigid  zones,  from  the  large 
whale,  cleaving  the  clipper-built  boat  of  his  pursuers  into  fragments 


NIMROD    WITH   A    FISH-ROD.  131 

with  one  stroke  of  his  gigantic  tail,  to  the  smallest  finny  fellow  that 
scratches  its  head  on  the  under  side  of  the  treacherous  ice 

Ever  since  Captains   Edge  and  Poole,  on  the  12th  of  June    IGll 
struck  and  captured  the  iirst  whale,  and  the  amphibious  sailors  of  the 
Dutch   English  and  Scotch  have  developed  this  rare  sport,  it  has  been 
a  wonder  that  so  many  sportsmen  in  search  of  gladiatorial  game-game 
that  could  give  as  well  as  receive  death-have  never  crossed  wenpons 
with  these  tigers  of  the  sea.     Perluips  their  pursuit  prones  to  profit  and 
loss,  but  so  does  the  buffalo  in  the  hands  of  hirelings.     Perhaps  his 
haunts  are  too  remote  to  be  invaded  cheaply.     But  who  ever  heard  the 
true  sportsman  stand  on  sucli  ground  when   we  consider  the  great 
expense  of  excursions  i<.  such  lands  as  Africa  and  elsewhere  to  kill  the 
lion  tiger  and  leopard.     AVhatever  may  be  the  reason,  the  noblest  game 
of  the  sea  is  left  to  the  hands  of  those  who  kill  him  only  for  the  coin  he 
will  bring  in  the  markets.     I  can  imagine  nothing  more  exciting  than  a 
good  whale  chase,  and  I  think  it  would  send  any  sportsman's  blood  up 
to  fever  heat.     I  had  been  promised  a  royal  old  chance  to  participate  in 
siich  a  chase  by  the  mate  of  the  "  Eothen  "-the  whaler  that  bore  us  to 
Hudson's  Bay-should  they  ever  -lower"  for  one  before  my  little 
party  was  set  ashore  to  prosecute  its  Arctic  explorations,  but  no  such 
chance  ever  came,  although  no  „ne  probably  watched  the  man  in  the 
crow's  nest  at  the  masthead  for  -There  she  blows!"   more  eao-erly 
than  I,  not  even  those  to  whom  their  pocket  was  a  paramount  consider- 
ation. 

The  Innuits  catch  great  nnml)ers  of  whale,  :,nd  trade  their  bone  and 
od  to  the  whaling-ships,  and  this  fa,-t  creates  considerable  rivalry 
between  the  different  vessels  to  reach  whaling  g.-ounds  first,  in  order  to 
bart.n'  with  these  native  fishermen  who  have  been  plving  their  vocation 
for  a  month  before  the  ships  get  in.  The  ancient  Innuit  or  purely 
native  method  of  killing  a  whale  was  to  pursue  him  with  the  harpoons 
ami  bladders  w.>  have  desc.ibed  iu  the  walrus  and  seal-hunting  by  a 
large  number  of  natives  in  theii-  hn,aks^  ov  skin  canoes,  and  literally  fill 
him  so  full  of  these  that  when  exhausted,  after  a  long  chase,  he  was 
unable  to  sink  beneath  the  surface,  and  fell  an  easy  prey  to  their  sharp 
lances  made  of  wood  and  tipped  with  walrus  ivory.     Many  of  the  old 


132 


NIMROD    IN    THE    NORTH. 


Iwillik  Innuits  told  me  of  tlieir  ant-ient  wliale-liunts,  the  flesh  of  these 
monsters  keeping  a  fair-sized  viUage  in  dog  meat  for  tlie  winter,  wliile 
tlie  skin— about  an  inch  tlilck— they  used  themselves.  The  Avhalebone, 
cut  into  strii)s,  was  used  to  lash  their  A-rry^Z:  frames  together,  while  the 
bone  proper  from  the  jaw  was  sawed  into  long  batten-like  strips  twelve 


THE   NORTHERN  AVHALE. 


or  fifteen  feet  in  length,  three  or  four  inches  wide,  and  an  inch  thick. 
With  this  they  shod  their  sledges  to  give  them  a  broad  running  and 
bearing  surface.  This,  with  the  oil  and  blubber  for  light  and  food, 
made  the  whale  the  n'ost  useful  game  the  natives  could  pursue. 


NIMROD     WITH    A    FISH-ROD. 


133 

Xovv  tlie  Ksi  imo  hunt  tlunn  like  the  wlialers,  oftentimes  in  boats 
supplied  by  An.eriean  or  European  captains,  or  o)>tain..I  IVom  wrecked 
wha  ing  Hlups,  and  .sell  the  proceeds  for  almost  insignilicant  profits,  the 
banelul  results   of   the  contact  of   civilization   with  savagery.      The 

r    r  f "         '  r'T''""'  *'^^  "^"  '^  ^*''^^--^^'  ^^  f-^  1-^i-  of  the 
crew  of  these  vessels,  for  nowhere  can  be  found  more  hardy  harpooners 

or  braver  boatmen  than  these  natural  tishennen  in  their  seas  of  ice  and 
I  r%i     r  ''''r'  ^^--^^^'^-s  considered  the  best  part  for  eating 
It  IS  as  black  as  the  ace  of  spades,  and  when  boiled  in  the  tr^•ing-poTs 
Its  tas  e  .s  not  unlike  that  of  tripe.     It  is  an  excellent  artici;  ot"  diet, 
m  that  It  assists  to  keep  away  that  bane  of  the  sailor,  the  scurvy 
Before  their  contact  with  white  men,  the  natives  would  not  "try  out '' 
he  whale  blubber  in  such  wholesale  quantities  as  is  now  done  for  their 
benefit,  believing,   and  probably  with  reason,   that  the  smell  of  the 
rendered  oil  would  drive  away  the  reindeer  and  musk-oxen,  especially  if 
lere  were  an  inshore  wind.     Game  once  frightened  away  in  this  manner, 
hey  know  too  well,  is  very  slow  to  return.     If    ,e  natives  are  whnlin. 
from  a  station  on  the  coast,  the  r...^..,  or  medicine  men  on  shore 
assisted  by  those  who  have  remaine.l  behind,  beseech  their  God  of  the 
Seas  to  give  the  whalemen  luck  by  their  vociferous  a,un'/,-otr„r,,  a  svsteni 
of  gj-mnastic  devotion  more  fatiguing  than  the  pursuit  of  the  wlu.le 

ri.,,  use  of  the  whalebone  to  which  the  natives  put  it,  and  one  case 
of  It  that  came  under  my  personal  observation,  I  must  not  allow  to 
pass   unnoticed.      Whenever  wolves  have  been   unusually  liungrv- 
have  de.4royed  a  favorite  d<,g  or  two,  or  dug  up  a  mcA.  of  reimWr 
meat  just  when  it  was  needed,  or  in  any  other  way  have  ronsed  the  ire 
of  tiie  lunu.t  hunter-he  takes  a  strip  of  whalebone  about  the  size  of 
thc>se  used  m  corsets.  wr.ps  it  up  in  a  compact  helical  mass  like  a 
watch-spr.ug,    having  previously  shnrj.ened   both   ends,    then   ties   it 
to,gether  with  reindeer  sinew,  and  plasters  it  with  a  con.pound  of  blood 
and  grease,  whu-h  is  alhnved  to  freeze  and  for.us  a  bindino-  eenient  sufli- 
nently  strong  to  cut  the  sinew  string  at  every  second  or  third  turn. 
J  Jus,  with  a  lot  of  similar  looking  baits  of  meat  and  blubber,  is  thrown 
n,Hm  the  snow  or  gr.unHl.    and  the   hungry  wolf  devours   it  along 
with  the  others,  and  when  it  is  thawed  o,.t   by  ,I.e  warmth  of   his 


n  '■■'I 


134 


NnmOD    IN    THE    NORTH. 


stomach  it  elongates  an<l  has  tlie  well-known  ett'ect  of  whalebone  on  the 
system  ;  but  having  tiie  military  advantage  of  interior  lines,  its  elfe<!ts 
are  more  rai)i(l,  killing  the  poor  wolf  in  the  most  horrible  agony  in 
about  two  (lays. 

The  narwhal— or,  as  it  is  sometimes  called,  the  sea-nnicorn— gives 
the  natives  of  the  north  much  sport  in  its  capture.  Like  the  whale,  it 
is  taken  with  harpoons  and  bhulders— a  methotl  which  has  never  been 
improved  upon,  even  by  the  ingenious  Yankee  whalehien  ;  for  their 


N  A  I!  W  HALS. 


whaleboat  is  nothing  more  than  tlu^  inflated  float,  and  their  harpoon 
looks  wonderfully  as  if  it  had  been  borrowed  from  the  Tnnuits,  with 
civilized  workmanship  in  its  detail.  The  natives  in  iruds(m's  Strait 
brought  lis  some  to  bart^M^  but  I  have  never  seen  any  in  the  bay.  and 
the  Innuits  th<Mv  know  of  no  such  fish  as  the  narwhal.  Its  peculiar 
twisted  ivory  tusk,  fnmi  liv(»  to  eight  IVct  in  Ictigth.  is  its  wea}»on  of 
defense,  and  it  is  not  altogether  a  bad  one.  if  it  cjiii  once  be  gotten 
through  the  frail  covering  of  the  native  skin-canoe  ;  but  accidents  from 


w 


NIMliOD     WITH    A    FISH-ROD.  jgg 

it  ai-e  rare.     Tlie  pursuit  cf  the  naruhul  is  not,  liowever,  a  conmum 
Hport.  even  in  the  waters  where  it  e.uld  n.ost  easily  be  indulged  in. 
1  he  tlesli  Ls  considered  very  tine  by  the  Innuit.s,  and  as  tlie  iisli  i.  from 
hfteen  to  twenty  feet  in  length,  .-xelusive  of  the  horn,  it  seen.s  singuhtr 
tluit  they  are  not  pursued  n.ore  when  tliey  obtain  so  nnudt  n.ent  in  one 
mnnuu.     Probably  the  tusk,  or  rather  its  active  use,  n.ostly  intiuenc-es 
hen-  practK-al  nunds.     Th.  f.sh  themselves  use  it  to  transfix  lish  which 
they  pursue,  to  break  the  thin  ice  so  they  may  breathe  and  blow,  and  as 
a  vveapon  ol  .U-fonse.     It  has  been  known  to  bury  it  in  the  wood  of  ships, 
in  the  sides  ol  whales,  ami  even  run  it  through  the  copper  of  ships' 
in  truth.  It  IS  the  hardest  ivory  known,  being  worth  double  that  of  the 
best  elei)liant  ivory. 

As  we  were  entering  the  eastern  entrance  of  Hudson's  Strait   we 
managed  to  while  away  a  few  hours  pleasantly  in  shooting  with'our 
revolvers  at  the  grampus  whales  tha,t  came  sporting  alongside  of  our 
s  up  with  a  fan.iliarity  that  was  hardly  warranted  by  our  ndations  with 
them      It  IS  needless  to   remark  that  we  bagged  none  of  them,  for  a 
pistol-shot  would  have  no  more  effect  on  their  black,  swarthy  backs  th-it 
protruded  from  the  water,  than  upon  a  (Jreedmoor  butt.     In  fact   thev 
really  seemed  to  enjoy  it,  for  their  sporting  became  livelier  and' their 
familiarity  greaterin  direct  ratio  to  thenumber of  shots  we  fired      Itis 
probably  their  liking  for  seal-meat  that  attracts  them  into  sub-Arctic 
regions.     Some  of  the  sailors  believe  that  they  dislodge  the  seals  with 
their  tail  or  back  fin  from  the  edge  of  the  ice  or  rocks  upon  wliich  thev 
have  crawled  to  bask  in  the  sun. 

When  the  Arctic  sky  is  deeply  overcast,  and  the  sea  has  taken  on 
the  same  dark  hue,  there  is  nothing  more  beautiful  than  the  si-ht  of  -i 
school  of  white  whales  ],assing  l)y,  their  ivory  skin  contrasting  vividly 
with  the  dark  green  tiuid  in  which  they  swim,  or  when  the  sun  is  shin- 
ing brightly  on  their  backs,  which,  as  they  roll  gracefully  along,  shine 
like  so  mauy  mirrors,  so  brilliant  is  their  polish.  Ti ley  are  seen  in 
Hudscm's  I^ay  early  in  the  spring,  traveling  along  the  coast  as  soon  as 
the  shore  ice  breaks  up,  generally  toward  the  east  at  Depot  Island  and 
then  again  become  numerous  in  the  fall,  just  before  the  new  ice  forms 
going  m  the  opposite  directirm.     The  natives  are  eager  in  their  pursuit' 


llt!^ 


1 ,11 


ff  ■ 


13G 


NIMROD    IN    THE    NORTH. 


r 


which  is  an  agreeable  ohano-e  from  the  summer  wnlrus  hunt,  and  yields 
them  nearly  as  much  blubber  and  UM'at.     One  thing  I  could  not  help 
noticing  in  their  movements  wlule  we  were  encamped  on  Depot  Island, 
watching  them  as  th(«y  passed,  and  that  was  the  almost  simultaneous 
manner  in  which  the  whole  shoal,  however  widely  dispersed,  would 
appear  at  the  surface  of  the  water.     It  :ilnu)st  seemed  as  if  they  were 
iigures  joined  by  immovable  rods,  and  raised  and  lowered  by  machinei-y. 
Even  when  the  island  split  the  school  in  two  this  phenomenon  was  still 
observed,  and  on  one  occa.sion  I  noticed  it  when  there  were  but  two 
whales  thus  separated.     Tliese  well -drilled  dragoons  of  the  deep  seem 
to  be  in  the  highest  state  of  discipline  in  their  fall  maneuvers,  when 
they  appear  to  have  more  leisure,  their  spring  action  being  more  the 
method  of  a  mob  scurrying  along  in  a  hurry  to  their  feeding^ grounds. 
The  poi'poise  is  sometimes  seen  and  caught  in  the  Arctic,  but  it  is, 
in  general,  very  scarce  there  and  not  at  all  to  be  dei>ended  upon.* 
Those  piscatorial  pirates,  the  sharks,  often  invade  the  Arctic,  no  doubt 
tempted  l)y  the  carcasses  of  the  whales  or  seals  or  walruses,  left  to  rot 
by  white  men  engaged  in  their  pursuit.     2s'atives,  angling  from  their 
skin  canoes  in  deep  water,  occasionally  catch  a  sluggish  shark  that  has 
ingulfed  the  bait,  but  there  is  no  use  pulling  against  such  a  mountain 
of  flesh  and  relying  upon  sheer  strength  to  bring  him  up  ;  and  this  the 
Innuit  Isaak  Walton   fully  knows,   and  overcomes  his  strength  by 
sagacity.     At  every  brisk  pull  of  the  shark,  showing  him  to  be  irri- 
tated,  the  line  is  lowered  to  appease  him,  but  cautiously  hauled  in 
again  almost  immediately,  tjie  shark  slowly  rising  to  tliis  strategic 
manii)u]ation,  until,  -like  a  finny  fool"  he  rests  upon  the  surface^of 
the  water  merely  by  the  aid  of  the  weakest  lishing-line,  when  with  a 
long  knife  the  tisherman  dexterously  dispatches  him  by  a  well-directed 
thrust  through  the  s])inal  cord.     From  their  well-known  voracity  in 
warmer  climes,  it  seems  singulai-  indeed  that  they  do  not  often  attack 
the  native   iishermen  in  their  litile  skin  canoes,   but  there  is  not  a 
recorded  or  known  instance  of  such  an  attack,  even  on  the  west  shor.^ 
of  (xreenl and  where  sharks  are  most  numerous,  and  where  the  native 


*  I  know  that  in  a  strictly  scientitic  sense,  (lie  whale,  the  narwhal  and  the  porpoise  nre  mam- 
mals anil  not  properly  lish  at  all.     But  I  am  treating  the  subject  popul:..  ly  an.l  not  scientifically. 


NIMROD     WITH    A    FISII-ROD.  137 

catch  lurge  numbers  of  tliem-froni  ten  to  twenty  thousand  a  year 
according  to  3)r.  Kink,  Danish  insp.rtor  of  tliis  coast  for  a  long  period 
ot  time.     The  usual  method  of  catching  these  fish  can  hardly  be  called 
lishmg  at  all.     IS'ear  a  hole  in  the  ice  a  lighted  torch  is  placed,  and  two 
natives  stand  on  opposite  sides  of  the  hole,  armed  with  sharp  hand- 
hooks,  like  the  deck-hands  at  a  shute  waiting  for  merchandise,  until 
tlie  shark  sticks  his  nose  t)ut,  when  he  is  treated  in  about  the  same 
business-like  manner,   as  he  is  hauled  on  to])  of  the  ice,  where  their 
carcasses  often  accumulate  by  hundreds  ;  for  once  commenced,  their 
pursuit-if  such  it  may  be  called-is  generally  carried  on  through  the 
whole  winter.     The  cartilaginous  bones  are  the  favorite  parts  for  food 
as  the  raw,  frozen  liesh  seems  to  have  a  depressing  effect  when  eaten  for 
a  long  time.     To  this  unwholesome  meat  the  dog  disease  is  attributed, 
which  every  few  years  carries  off  so  many  valuable  dogs. 

Codfish  of  several  varieties  abound  in  various  parts  of  the  Arctic 
regions,  no  less  than  a  quaiter  of  a  million  of  them  being  caught  annu- 
ally in  Greenland  alone.     There  are  the  large  ones  s'-niilar  to  those  on 
the  banks  of  Newfoundland  and  elsewhere  to  the  south  ;  but  these  are 
only  caught  in  the  Ai-ctic  seas  during  the  summer  with  hook  and  line. 
The  smaller  cod-the  oowal'  of  the  Innuits-seems  to  be  a  more  Arctic 
fish.     :\[y  first  peivsonal  contact  with  this  vai'iety  was  when  I  met  the 
Netschilluks  of  King  William  Land,  in  a  little  Cove  on  the  Adelaide 
Peninsula.     A  short  distance  out  on  the  ice  of  this  cove  there  were  a 
number  of  holes  dug  through  the  ice,  some  fifteen  or  twenty,  and  at 
nearly  every  hole  was  a  woman  or  a  child  hauling  out  these  herring-like 
cod  as  fast  as  they  could  put  in  their  lines  and  pull  them  out  Zj^am. 
Their  lines  were  made  of  the  sinew  stripjied  from  the  superficial  dorsal 
muscles  of  the  reindeei-,  their  hooks  simply  being  twisted  bits  of  metal, 
barbless,  and  deiiending  upon  the  rajud  hauling  in  of  the  line  to  retain 
the  fish— a  dexterity  which  they  accpiire  losiich  adegree  that  they  lose 
but  few.     Still,  our  barbed  hooks  so  excited  their  curiosity  that' they 
were  fain  to  giv(^  us  almost  anything  foi-them,  but  we  were  glad  enough 
to  exchange  them  for  their  i-ough  ones  of  C()i)per  that  had  been  crude'ly 
liammer(Ml  fiom  the  sheeting  Htrii)ped  from   the  bottom  of  Sir  John 
Franklin's  ships.     Wlienever  the  wind  would  blow  very  strong,  the 


■    ?! 


138 


NIMROD    IN    THE    NORTH. 


fishers  would  build  a  lii<.-li  smow  wall  on  that  side,  to  protect  them,  and 
this  could  be  siiil'ted  in  a  mom  nt  or  so  to  meet  every  changiuiL,^  gust  of 
wind.  Even  tlie  many  dogs  in  sneaking  around  would  make  out  to  steal 
a  good  nu'id  of  lish  in  the  course  of  tlie  (hiy. 

One  thought  coiUd  not  but  impress  itself  upon  me  very  forcibly. 
Very  near  this  place  was  the  spot  where  the  last  survivors  of  Sir  John 
Franklin's  ill-fated  expedition  perished  from  cold,  hunger  and  scurvy. 
They  had  landed,  some  ten  or  fifteen  in  numbei-,  in  the  summer  months, 
when  the  cold  was  by  no  meiuis  unbearable,  and  edible  lish  were  swim- 
ming in  countless  numbers  under  the  very  keel  of  their  boat.     A  good 
supply  of  fresh  fish   would  have  satisfied   their  hunger  and  kept  the 
scurvy  at    bay.      '^Man's  life  hangs   upon  a  thread,"   says  the  old 
proverb ;  it  certainly  hung  on  a  fish-line  in   this  instance.     The  old 
women  of  the  village  passed  around  us  with  their  hands  full  of  curious 
little  pearly  buttons  that  came  from  the  head  of  the  oowak,  wishing  to 
trade  them  for  needles  and  such  materinl. 

There  is  also  a  large  and  small  kind  of  halibut  in  the  Arctic  seas, 
caught  by  whites  and  natives.  The  large  halibut  often  weigh  a  hundred 
pounds,  and  a  fev.-  years  ago  some  American  ships  went  into  the  busi- 
ness wx  catching  them  for  a  commercial  speculation,  but  I  think  it  has 
failed.  The  little  halibut  is  much  fatter  and  sweeter,  and  is  angled  for 
in  the  ice-fiords  of  Greenland  at  depths  of  from  t\vo  to  three  hundred 
fathoms  of  water.  In  somewhat  shallower  water  of  the  same  places,  at 
from  one  hundred  and  fifty  to  two  hundi-ed  fathoms,  the  same  anglers 
often  obtain  the  "red-fish"  whose  flesh  is  rich  in  oil  and  agreeable  to 
the  palate.  The  nepisaA'—a  fat  little  finny  fellow— runs  in  shore  during 
the  spring  to  spawn,  and  then  those  natives  lucky  enough  to  be  in  the 
course  of  their  run  can  live  off  them  for  a  couple  of  weeks  or  more. 

The  northern  capelin  is  a  fish  that  warms  the  soul  of  the  native  from 
its  great  abundance  when  it  does  come,  "and  jruiy  in  a  dried  state,  in 
wintertime,"  says  Dr.  Rink,  "frequently  be  said  to  have  constituted 
the  daily  bread  of  the  natives."  They  are  actually  shoveled  on  shore  for 
a  month  during  the  running  season  in  the  spring,  by  the  help  of  nets 
and  seines,  and  strewn  over  the  rocks  of  the  beach  like  manure  over  a 
field.  The  natives  of  Greenland  do  not  catch  much  less  than  a  thousand 
tons  per  year,  especially  if  the  season  be  successful. 


NIMROD     WITH    A    FISHROD. 


139 


There  ison(»  tribe  of  Innuits,  jind  only  one  tluit  my  journeys  brought 
nie  in  cfnitact  with,  which  .ii:iy  be  said  to  live  upon  tish,  or  iit  least,  it 
is  the  principal  article  ol"  diet.  1  refer  to  the  Oo-quee-sik  Sa-lik  Innuits, 
wlio  live  on  the  largest  branch  of  Back's  Great  Fish  Kiver— the  Koog- 
ni-yook— at  about  forty  miles  from  its  mouth,  and  at  the  Dangerous 
Kapids,  at  the  nujuth  of  Back's  Kiver.  At  the  former  place,  on  the 
Koog-ni-yook,  there  is  a  long  series  of  rapids  in  the  river,  and  when  the 
ice  breaks  up  and  is  clear  of  the  river,  about  July,  the  salmon  commence 
to  ascend,  and  they  are  speared  by  the  hundred  by  the  fishermen,  who 
boldly  wade  through  the  rushing  torrent  till  good  standing  places  are 
found. 

The  fishing  spears  used  here  are  about  ten  or  twelve  feet  long  and 
an  inch  and  a  half  tliick,  and  at  the  lower  end  is  placed  a  sharpened 
spike  about  four  inches  in  length,  generally  made  of  copper.  Two  flar- 
ing pieces  of  horn  are  bound  to  the  shaft,  and  at  the  free  extremity  of 
each  of  these  is  a  metal  spike  bent  back  like  a  barb.  The  points  of  ihe 
three  spikes,  which  neariy  touch  each  other,  form  a  triangle  whose 
sides  are  of  almost  equal  lengtli.  \Vhen  thrust  over  a  salmon  in  the 
water,  the  central  spike  pierces  his  back,  the  two  outer  ones  flaring  over 
his  sides  until  they  are  pulled  u]),  when  the  elasticity  of  the  musk-ox 
horn  prongs  drives  them  into  his  sides,  and  he  is  "triangled"  on  three 
spits  that  hold  him  with  deadly  certainty  until  he  is  thrown  upon  the 
land.  The  women  clean  the  fishes,  and  they  are  placed  to  dry  on 
double  ro*  •  •  of  reindeer-sinew^  strings  drawn  from  one  rock  to  another 
and  back.  When  dried  they  are  packed  in  sealskin  bags  for  winter 
use,  and  even  as  late  as  May,  when  we  visited  them,  they  had  a  tolerable 
supply  of  'pipsee,  as  they  call  it. 

The  Ookqueesik  Saliks,  of  the  Dangerous  Rapids,  catch  not  only  the 
salmon  but  a  herring-like  tish  which  they  call  cowwesilliJi.  As  it  comes 
later  in  the  year  they  have  no  time  to  dry  it,  so  they  pUe  it  away  in 
pens  of  rock  looking  like  huge  granite  bee-hives,  and  often  standing  as 
high  as  they  can  reach.  Late  as  they  are  caught,  the  coioioesilVk  have 
plenty  of  time  to  acquire  the  taint  so  characteristic  of  stale  fish  ;  and 
so  much  is  this  killed  by  freezing  and  so  generously  is  it  liberated  again 
by  thawing,  that  the  raw,  frozen  fish  are  decidedly  a  luxury  as  a  diet 


140 


NIMROD    IX    THE    NORTH. 


oon.pared  with  those  <-.,„1uhI.     Tlii.s  is  true  of  mII  tainted  meats-vast 
quantities  (,!'   wliieh  are  .h-voured  by  tlie  natives   througliout   these 
regions.     Taken  in  large  quantities  sickness  supervenes,  accompanied 
by  a  practical  nausea,  and  cases  often  occur  of  death  from  this  cause 
when  driven  to  it  by  necessity,  or  indulging  in  it  too  freely  under  other 
circumstances.     Out  of  4,770  deatiis  among  the  Innuits  of  Greenland 
tiiirty-six  were  poisoned  by  putrilied  meat,  sixteen  died  of  putrid  fever 
probably  brought  on  by  that  cause,  and  seventy-three  of  complaints  of 
the  stomach,  thirty-three  of  vomiting,  of  w]u<-h  over  half  would  be  of 
this  cause  It  my  experience  among  the  Innuits  would  hold  in  ^lat 
country.    Colonel  Gilder  would  insist  on  comparing  tainted  walrus  meat 
to  Limburger  cheese,  and  certainly  when  meats  so  perfectly  marbled 


■<  « 


SALMON. 

With  interstitial  fat  as  that  of  the  walrus  are  tainted,  it  is  more  that  of 
the  rancidity  of  old  cheese  than  a  true  putrefaction  ;  but  no  such  claims 
rest  with  any  of  the  true  fishes,  even  in  the  Arctic,  although  we  man- 
aged to  accustom  ourselves  to  this  diet  in  homoeopathic  doses.    In  sn.all 
shnllow  streams,  these  natives  select  .      "     e  on  the  rip]i]e  and  build  a 
dam  r.bhquely  across,  open  for  al)out  a  ^ .....  on  either  end.  and  inclining 
to  the  axis  of  the  stream  at  as  an  acute  an  angle  as  the  lenijth  of  the 
rii)ples  will  allow,  so  as  to  keep  the  dam  within  them.     After  the  cow- 
wesilWcsh^y^  passed  up  the  stream  the  upper  opening  is  closed,  and  a 


w 


m.VdOD     WITH    A    FISH-ROD.  ui 

largo  nunif,er  of  rmtives,  getting  on  tlie  up-stivam  side  of  the  shoal  of 
«sh,  higliteu  th.-ni  into  ivtnniing  doun  the  stream,  where  they  must 
pass  through  the  lower  opening  ,,f  the  wing-dani.  This  dam  is  contin- 
ued along  the  bank  for  some  distance,  if  tlien.  be  one,  or  the  water  is 
directed  into  a  basin  if  there  is  none  :  in  either  case  the  iish  are  penned 
int<.  a  phice  where  tliey  are  so  thick  tliey  are  raked  out  with  a  large, 
wooden  rake  on  the  bank,  and  thence  transferred  to  the  large  cairns, 
already  described,  and  used  througii  the  winter  for  food. 

But  the  prim-e  of  tlie  polar  lish.^s  is  the  salmon,  although  the  ice 
makes  ,t  impossil)]e  to  get  as  much  fun  out  of  him  here  as  can  be  had 
in    the    temperate    zones,    and    bars    such    sport    for    the     greater 
portion  of  the  year.     They  are  caught  by  means  of  holes  cut  througii 
the  ice,  and  the  satisfaction  derived  is  about  equal  to  that  of  pike  or 
pickerel  fishing  under  the  same  circumstances.     Whenever  the  native 
traveler  goes  into  camp  and  the  water-hole  is  dug,  he  always  makes  allow- 
ance for  fishing  by  making  the  hol-^  large  enough  to  draw  through  this  icy 
avenue  the  largest  salmon  that  may  perchance  be  swimming  in  the  lake 
He  sometimes  gets  deceived  in  these  calculations.     I  once  found  mvself 
on  the  upper  surface  of  seven  or  eight  feet  of  ice,  with  a  twelve-inch 
broad  salmon  on  the  under  side,  separated  from  me  by  the  edges  of  a 
ten-inch  hole,  though  connected  with  me  by  the  strongest  kind  of  a  sinew 
line  and  a  stout  Limerick  fish-hook.     Our  efforts  to  get  together  were 
finally  rendered  successful  by  one  of  the  natives,  who  enlarged  the  hole 
in  the  ice  with  liis  chisel. 


N 


II 


ESKIMO   DOG. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

DOGS   A^D   DOG-SLKD(}IXG. 

I  DOUBT  very  much  if  tliereisa  domestic 
iiiiiinul  ill  tlie  wide  world  tliat  is  so  ab- 
solutely essential  to  the  welfure  and 
comfort  of  a  savage  people  as  an  Eskimo 
dog  is  to  the  natives  of  the  north,  and 
esi)ecially  those  of  the  American  Arci^ic, 
where  it  is  used  the  most.  It  is  their 
horse,  ox  and  reindeer  for  drawing  ve- 
hicles :  their  mule  and  camel  for  packing 
their  elTects  when  the  snow  is  off  the 
ground ;  their  hunting  dog  for  the 
chase—and  by  the  chase  alone  do  they 
reap  a  sustenance  from  a  niggardly  nature  ;  and  in  case  of  great  ex- 
tremity. Avhen  everything  else  has  failed,  the  last  bitter  morsel  by  which 
they  avert  starvation  for  a  while  to  tide  them  over  the  famine. 

"  How  large  are  the  Eskimo  dogs  T'  is  a  question  I  have  been  asked 
more  than  a  dozen  times  for  every  Eskimo  dog  I  have  ever  seen.  A 
fitting  answer  woidd  be,  "  About  the  size  of  a  rock."'  There  seems  to 
be  an  indefinite  impression  among  the  people  of  the  temperate  zones 
that  these  northern  dogs  are  a  distinct  breed,  and  that  a  descrii^tion  of 
any  one  of  them  taken  miscellaneously  here  or  there  would,  with  very 
slight  manipulation,  serve  for  any  other— as  a  description  of  a  setter,  a 
terrier  or  a  greyhound  would  answer,  the  world  over,  for  any  animal  of 
the  same  species.  The  Eskimo  dogs,  as  I  found  them  on  my  sledge- 
journeys,  are  about  as  distinct  a  breed  as  the  cui-  in  civilized  countries, 
although  a  far  more  useful  and  intelligent  animal  in  every  respect,  yet 
concerning  those  I  found  in  Alaska  I  would  call  my  readers'  attention  to 


>  4» 

I 


f) 


2Mlli-  ■•■•■.if''  --'--^ 


EfiKIMO    DOGS. 


'?'' 

ii 

^      I 

'T 


'.  i 


illj 


144 


NIMROD    IN    THE    NORTH. 


[m 


the  references  to  this  sul)ject  which  will  oe  found  in  the  chapter  on. 
Alaskan  hunting-.  There  is  a  sort  of  general  similarity  in  their  pointed, 
woltish  ears— if  they  have  not  had  them  broken  and  disligured  in 
wrangles  over  cold  victuals,  as  a  large  proportion  of  those  that  I 
have  seen  in  North  Hudson's  Bay  seem  to  have  had,  and  in  their  shaggy 
coats  of  warm  hair.  But,  after  all,  I  have  seen  them  when  full  grown, 
of  all  sizes,  from  a  small  pointer  to  a  snudl  Kewfoundland,  and  with 
coats  as  shaggy  and  beautiful  as  the  latter  and  again  as  coarse  and 
straight  as  the  veriest  mongrel ;  ^vhile  one  may  have  a  muzzle  as  sleek 
and  clean  as  a  fox's  and  another  in  the  same  team  a  massive  mug  like  a 
bulldog's,  although  the  latter  is  rare,  and  a  medium  between  the  two 
very  common.  A  dog  painter  visiting  the  Arctic,  or  at  least  that  part  I 
visited,  would  have  to  take  Avitli  him  every  color  he  had  used  in  painting 
the  various  breeds  at  home,  while  one  who  trains  the  animals  would 
find  enough  variety  of  disposition  to  exeix-ise  the  brains  of  a  genius. 
So  different  are  their  sizes  that  the  native  dog-driver  uenerally  has  a 
harness  for  each,  and  he  always  knows  its  assignment  when  the  dogs 
are  hitched  up  in  the  morning  for  the  day's  journey  or  work,  as  the 
collar  of  one  that  would  pull  the  ears  as  it  was  put  on,  might  be  almost 
too  large  for  the  shoulders  of  some  little  runt  that  had  been  dwarfed  in 
his  puppyhood  by  too  good  or  bad  treatment. 

The  big,  aggressive  dogs  lord  it  over  the  snudler  and  weaker  ones  in 
a  thousand  disagreeable  ways,  although  their  pugnacious  and  overbear- 
ing insolence  does  not  always  reward  them  with  the  best  to  be  had,  and 
in  a  few  creditable  instances  really  prevents  their  getting  it.  If  in  the 
way  of  food  the  morsels  be  made  very  snudl— that  is,  the  meat  cut  into 
bits  that  can  be  swallowed  at  one  gull)— the  active  little  ft'llows  will  be 
almost  sure  to  get  the  greater  part  of  it ;  for  the  very  fii-st  reception  of 
anything  eatahle  among  a  number  of  them,  is  a  terrible  tussle  between 
the  big  belligerents  in  which  the  little  ones  reap  the  liarvest.  There  is 
nothing  U'ore  comical  than  to  see  the  big  brutes  rolling  over  each  other 
in  awi'angle  while  the  little  ones  devour  the  dainties,  and  then  note  the 
foolish  expression  on  the  combatants'  faces  as  tliey  wander  around  over 
the  clean  snow  wondering  what  they  were  lighting  for  after  all,  wliile 
the  smaller  fry  keep  at  a  respectful  distance  and  lick  their  chops  in  the 


DOGS    AND    nOG-SLEDGIXG.  145 

h  ,„  uluj  ahvays  lea„«  toward,  tho,e  wl,o  ,1„  the  n.ost  ,vo,k  for 
h.n.-that  „,  the  h,g  fell„>vs-s,„-h  clistribution,  are  ..ot  very  co„„no„ 
Another  ..oustaut  .source  of  coaunon  annoyance  to  the  little  dog.,  and 
to  the,r  n,a.,er.,,  ,s  felt  when  the  .snowhon^e  i»  completed  and  h^long 
pa.,  geway  o  ,„ow  olock,  ha.,  been  built,  and  the  little  one,  cr-awl  int^ 
o    the  n,gh   ,  re.  t     In  thi,  they  are  ,„ually  not  di,turbed  by  the 

'1  It    ,','ft'';\f  "•'■'"  «'"''-"l"'"""g'l-  ..igl.t,  when  they  are 
al.uo,t  ,,ure  to  want  the.r  protected  berth  and  walk  in  to  take  it  on  the 

"  ;,    "   '    ."""""•  y'  '"«'""'«  "'«  inevitable  result,  feel  that  tl^; 
can  ha.dly  gue  up  ,uch  a  nice  warn,  berth  without  nnddng  some  stru.. 
g  e  for  theu.  r,ght,.    The  re,„lt  generally  i,  that  the  larfe^  snow-blo d. 
;:;:«  .':  'f  7,^'"--.  »■•  «--  ^^o...  U  ^  can  be  called  ^ch.  i,  nea.  y 
aUvay,  knocked  >n  and  probably  broken,  and  the  exa.,perated  innuite, 
or,o,„eoneof  then,  get,  „p,  ,tick  or  ,ledge-,lat  in  hand,  and        h 

Worou,  blovv,t,ght  and  left,  up  and  down,  clear,  thepassaglof  all  the 
log,,  w,thout  regard  to  age,  ,i.e  or  color.    Thi,  operation  is  repeated 

do,  ^I""'"T  '  T™  '"!''  '"  •■'  '"'■"""'  "''""*'"• """  *■'«  «-eU-trained  E,kimo 

11. ...  h,df.,tarved  co..d.t.on  at  ,„o,t  ,ca,o,.,  of  the  year  keep,  them  in 
a  chrome  .,tate  of  loud  belligerency,  g.-owlingand  lighting  'overev  .y 
th.ng  f  n,t  bear,  even  a  re,en,l,lance  to  f„o,l.    Dm^ing  the  ni.d,t-es,„ 
";.  ly  those  cold,  moonlight  night„oco,n,non  ir,  the  Arctic  wb^e.-thev 

w,lre,„enty  favor  you  with  a  con tof  p..olo„ged  howl,,  ,hat  n.ake; 

n      .e  f    ',',  ,  ",'•    """""^'"'"'■^-     ■'■'"■    -""e    d„g.d..iver,    awakened 

.'/".'/"      ,W/«-.'      at  the  very  top  „f  hi,  ,tentoria,.  voice.     Thi,   i,' 
I.e  small   clo,ed  if/,,,,,  .,ou,.d,  not   u,.like  a  1fi.i„,„  gun  i„  an  i.on 

Uke  he  cl.0  ,gog,.e.    The  ,l„g,  a.-e  particularly  given  to  these ..ight 

rebels  when  t.ed  up,  a,  they  u,aallya,v  in  ,l,e  ea.'ly  autun...  to  p.^v^nt 


If,    ! 


Ij  i 


1  ,     1 


it 

K 

■ 


146 


XIMROIJ    IX    THE    NOHTIT. 


tliem  scampering  away  after  the  reindeer  that  may  be  grazing  near  by 
and  driving  tlimi  away.  At  tliis  time  they  are  muzzled  witli  sealskin 
thongs  tied  around  their  noses,  so  that  their  howlings  nuiy  not  frighten 
the  game  ;  and  unl«*ss  a  very  energetic  one  paws  his  muzzle  oil"  and 
liberates  his  jaws,  the  sleepy  man  nuiy  have  comparative  quiet. 

Every  time  they  are  harnessed  to  the  sledge  the  iirst  crack  of  the 
whip  to  start  is  a  sigiud  for  what  might  be  called  in  frontier  parlance 
"a  free  light."'  The  Iirst  dog  struck  Avith  the  tip  of  the  lash  makes  a 
belligerent  spring  for  his  nearest  neighbor,  who  in  turn  retaliates  on  the 
next,  and  so  on,  until — like  the  proverliial  row  of  upright  bi'icks  wheii 
one  has  started  to  fall— they  aie  all  down  in  a  tanglf  of  hair,  harness 
and  howls,  which  the  native  driver  at  once  proceeds  to  unravel  with  the 
butt  end  of  his  whip.  Having  taken  their  preliminary  "bitters,"  so  to 
speak,  they  are  then  ready  for  a  serious  start,  and  trot  or  walk  along 
the  rest  of  the  day's  Journey  in  a  manner  worthy  of  Barnum's  hapi)y 
family. 

They  are  generally,  outside  of  their  work,  a  most  unbearable  nui- 
sance. From  two  or  three  to  a  half  dozen  heads  can  always  be  seen 
closing  the  little  i(/1oo  door,  ready  to  steal  any  thing  eatable  that  may 
be  left  unwatched  for  a  nu)nient  or  two,  and  should  they  capture  it, 
there  then  ensues  a  noisy  wrangling  over  the  article,  which  generally 
terminates  in  .some  big  aggressive  dog  who,  by  the  way,  has  not  risked 
getting  his  head  broken  at  the  if/loo  entrance,  walking  off  as  a  victor 
with  the  spoils,  unless  speedily  recaptured  by  the  innuites,  whicli  in 
case  of  eatables— unless  it  be  frozen  hard  as  a  stone  ami  of  unusual 
size,  too  large  at  least  to  swallow  until  torn  to  ])ieces — is  very  rare. 
AVhile  traveling,  the  Tnniiits  make  quite  snudl ////oo.v,  just  large  enough 
to  hold  everybody  when  i)i(»i)erly  "sjiooned,"  ai^l  store  all  the  harness, 
meat,  etc.,  in  as  small  an  it/Joo  as  possible  alongside.  When  evei\\body 
has  retired,  the  dogs  commence  their  engineering  to  gt't  at  the  c<.inents 
of  the  storehouse,  sci'atchiug  away  as  if  for  dear  life,  until  a  i)ant)'ei-- 
like  yell  from  some  on<'  of  tlif  male  inmates  fiightens  tliem  away 
temporarily;  but  they  will  be  very  lucky  indexed  if  they  are  not  com- 
pelled to  get  u]»  once  or  Iwice  during  the  night  and  ivpair  some  dam- 
ages the  dogs  have  done.     This  can  be  easily  forestalled  by  i)ouring  or 


I 


i  8 


148 


NIMROD    IN    THE    NORTH. 


8i)rinkling  water  on  the  snow  blocks  of  the  store  igloo,  and  so  protect- 
ing it  with  :i  thick  crust  of  ice  ;  but  witli  tlie  careless  indilference  so 
characteristic  of  the  Eskimo,  they  seldom  do  this  until  the  dogs  have 
demolished  several  small  store  ujIooh  and  stolen  their  edible  contents. 
When  we  reflect  that  these  animals  are  fed  only  every  other  day,  even 
Avhen  there  is  plenty  of  food  for  them,  and  oftentimes  oidy  every  third 
or  fourth  day,  if  the  canine  larder  is  not  very  full,  their  voracious  feroc- 
ity is  easily  understood. 

On  King  AV^illiam  Land  at  one  time,  the  dogs  of  Henry  Klutschak's 
party,  returning  from  Terror  Bay  to  Gladman  Pt)int,  were  seven  days 
without  food,  doing  work  all  the  time  ;  the  men  themselves,  meanwhile; 
being  nearly  three  days  without  any  thing  to  eat.  1  have  known  them 
to  eat  soledeather,  pistol-holsters — kindly  leaving  the  i)istol — canvas 
gun-covers,  oilcloth  clothes,  tarred  rope  and  cloth  saturated  with 
grease  ;  and  on  our  way  to  Back's  liiver,  they  tore  to  pieces  and  par- 
tially devoured  a  pair  of  India-rubber  overshoes  that  I  was  depending 
npon  for  summer  wear.  We  had  been  fortunate  in  securing  a  few 
reindeer  while  returning  homewards  along  l^aclc's  Great  Fish  River, 
most  of  which  we  found  well  inland  from  the  river,  and  it  was  also  this 
fact,  added  to  many  other  reasons  not  of  a  s];)orting  character,  that 
induced  my  natives  to  ask  me  to  leave  its  barren  bed.  This  scanty 
supply  of  reindeer  meat,  with  the  rapidly  disappearing  fish  that  we 
had  bought  of  the  Eskimo  at  the  mouth  of  the  great  river,  gave  the 
poor  dogs  but  few  scanty  meals,  which,  coupled  with  the  razor-edged 
Aveather  in  the  depth  of  an  Arctic  winter,  told  terribly  n])on  them,  and 
before  we  had  left  the  river  in  the  latter  part  of  December,  we  had  lost 
one  fine  dog,  and  so  drained  the  vitality  of  the  rest  that  we  increased 
the  mortality  to  twenty-six  out  of  forty-five  before  we  reached  Hudson's 
Bay,  on  the  fourth  of  the  next  ^farch.  It  was  pitiable  indeed  to  be 
compelled  to  notice  the  silent  siitl'erings  of  these  faithful  comi)anions 
as  they  slowly  fell  by  the  wayside,  with  a  seennng  devotion,  as  if  the 
sacrifice  Avere  self-imposed  to  aid  us  as  much  as  ])ossible  on  our  uncom- 
fortable journeyings. 

Ravenous  as  the;y  were,  tearing  to  pieces  every  thing  not  made  of 
wood  or  iron,  or  raiding  fearlessly  into  the  hjloon  in  quest  of  food,  they 


DOGS    AND    DOG-SLEDGING.  149 

were  faitliful  respecters  of  tli.'ir  lininan  companions,  not  even  once 
attempting  to  luirni  tlie  little  cliildren  wlio  wander  inno.vntlv  anion- 
tliem,  pelting  them  with  toy  wliips,  tliough  half  an  hour  afterward  they 
would  be  savag-ely  tearing  a  dead,  starved  companion  limlj  from  limb 
to  secure  the  hide,  which  was  nearly  all  that  was  left  of  him.     Every 
time  one  of  the  party  entered  an  /r/Ioo  by  creeping  tlirough  the  narrow 
entrance  on  his  hands  and  feet,  tliey  wedged  themselves  in  along  witli 
him  so  tightly  that  it  wms  ahuost  impossible  to  move,  hoping  theivby  to 
steal  some  stray  morsel  of  meat  or  blubber.     AVhen  a  person  was  out  of 
doors  among  them,  every  motion  he  made  was  intently  watch.-d,  and  if 
it  bore  a  resemblance  to  giving  them  anything  eatable,  they  would 
make  a  rush  that  would  pile  the  pack  around  him  in  a  most  alarming- 
looking  but  hanuless  way,  until  something  else  drew  their  attention  hi 
another  direction.     These  facts  may  have  sometimes  1(m1  persons  to 
believe  that  "assault  with  intent  to  do  bodily  harm"  was  tlie  motive 
aet.iating  the  tierce-looking  gang  under  these  circumstances,  but  my 
experience  with.  Eskimo  dogs  has  been  that  when  starving,   if  they 
desired  to  make  a  nu^al  off  tlxeir  human  allies,  it  would  take  more 
effective  means  to  prevent  it  than  those  recorded  where  the  imayiuation 
of  the  writers  conceived  that  tli.'ir  liv.'s  were  in  danger.     The  Eskimo 
of  my  accpiaintaiice,  whom  I  (piestioned  concerning  this  matter,  knew 
of  no  such  cases. 

The  endurance  of  the  Eskimo  dog  is  his  most  conspicuous  point  of 
superiority  to  his  southern  fellows,  which  he  no  more  resembles  in 
feebleness  of  flesh  than  the  Indian  squaw  of  the  West,  carrying  her  two- 
bushel  basket  of  potatoes  strapped  over  her  head  to  the  agency  building, 
two  miles  away,  resenlbl(^s  a  society  belle  with  just  enoug'li  strengtli 
to  roll  her  eyes  at  the  mention  of  the  last  French  novel.  T  have  more 
than  hinted  at  this  already  in  the  previous  paragraphs,  but  have  not 
given  the  most  conspicuous  cases  by  any  manner  of  means.  On  the  14th 
of  November,  187!).  one  sledge  of  my])arty,  with  nineteen  dogs,  found 
themselves  at  tlie  head  of  tli,'  Kingniiktook  Inlet,  journeving  toward 
the  Dangerous  l?apids  at  the  mouth  of  Back's  Kiver,  over  a'"liundred 
miles  away,  and  across  a  i)erfectly  unknown  country.  That  day  we 
fed  our  dogs  a   tolerable  m.-al  only,    for  not  a  reindeer  had  been  seen 


[III 


lil 


!':• 


150 


XlMIiOD    IX    THI-J    XORTH. 


since  early  October,  when  the  forniinn-  ice  in  Simpson's  Straits  had 
allowed  them  to  cross  on  their  southward  migrations,  and  our  supply 
of  venison  was  getting  veiy  low.  One  of  those  detestable  storms,  so 
common  to  the  Ai'ctic,  that  knows  no  meteorological  law  except  that  of 
persistency,  now  set  in,  and  continued  in  its  varying  moods  until  the  7th 
of  December,  duriiig  which  time  we  of  course  made  very  slow  progress. 
Eight  (lays  after— on  the  a:?d— we  again  fed  them  lightly  (having  fed 
them  four  or  live  days  before!  the  14th  of  2sovend)erj,  for  we  were  in  a 
hilly  country  and  haidly  knowing  when  we  would  reacli  the  rapids. 
Seven  days  after,  on  thf  29th,  we  gave  them  a  tolerable  feed,  as  we  now 
for  the  first  time  saw  our  way  clear  to  our  desired  point.  Again,  (m 
the  r)th  of  December,  six  days  after  the  last  feeding,  we  reached  the 
rai)ids,  tore  down  a  native  cairn  of  iish,  and,  as  the  natives  were  absent, 
put  a  knife  and  a  few  trinkets  in  the  debris  of  the  rock  as  payment, 
according  to  the  custom  of  the  country,  and  gave  our  poor  animals  a, 
most  regal  feed.  Xot  one  had  fallen  by  the  wayside,  although  the 
nineteen  of  them  were  so  thin  and  gaunt  that  I  doubt  if  tln^  whole 
lot  were  equal  in  strength  to  any  half-dozen  of  them  before  we  left  the 
head  of  the  Ivingmiktook  Inlet,  when  they  were  in  the  best  condition  on 
my  trip  of  nearly  a  year  in  length.  I  doubt  if  there  are  a  dozen  dogs  in 
the  temperate  zones  that  would  luive  lived  half-way  through  that  ordeal 
of  three  weeks  in  the  depth  of  an  Arctic  winter. 

The  range  of  the  Eskimo  dog  Ux'iiKj-mlh\  Jn'iiuil\  or  l'i(/inih\  in 
Innuit  parlance),  is  co-extensive  witii  that  i-ace  of  the  human  family 
from  which  he  (h'l'ives  his  distinctive  name,  and  in  many  places  over- 
lea])S  these  boumhiries,  and  is  found  among  the  -ontiguous  Indian 
tribes,  who  fully  ai)preciate  his  value  ms  m  draft  animal.  Wiiite  inen, 
especially  those  engaged  in  the  fur  industries,  have  helped  to  extend 
his  wanderings  until  the  J<:skinio  dog.  or  tiiose  that  are  eaih'd  such, 
have  even  crossed  the  boundai'ies  of  the  I'luted  Slates  in  their  legiti- 
mate duty  of  sledging.  Theiv  is  also  a  tendency  to  call  all  sledging  dogs 
of  the  far  north  Eskimo,  some  of  wiiicli  might  be  more  pi-opei'Iy  spoken 
of  as  Indian  dogs,  trained  to  this  valuabhM-aniue  accomi)lishnient.  and 
even  among  the  Eskimo  themselves,  -is  1  have  more  than  hinted,  can  be 
found  <logs  of  wide  variety,  as  in   \oiih   Iludsou\  I'.av.  while  in  other 


i 


DOGS    AND    DOCi-SLEDGINa. 


151 


in 


districts,  siirli  as  Alaska,  for  instance,  the  type  seems  well  settled. 
From  all  these  confusing  data  it  is  hard  to  settle  his  exact  limits. 
About  the  furthest  away 
fnmi  his  home  in  the  Arctic 
re.iiionstliat  we  hear  of  his 
being  described  is  the  prov-  '^' 
ince  of  Manitoba,  and  1 
take  the  following  from 
the  pen  of  Mr.  Adrian  Xel  Ti 
son,  of  that  country :  "All 
of  this  breed  are  fierce, 
treacherous,  and  active.  A 
man  would  be  considered  a 
fool  who  attempted  to  har- 
ness them  without  his  whip 
and  this  whip  innst  have 
some  little  bells,  thimbles, 
or  pieces  of  tin  attached,  so 


IN  THE   ICE-llUMMOCKS. 


as  to  jingle,  it  would  be  the  essence  of  folly  to  touch  one  of  these  dogs 
when  out  of  the  harness,  excei)t  with  the  whip.  Api)roacliing  the  (l(»g, 
the  driver  throws  the  lash,  which  is  about  ten  feet  long,  round  the  (lo<'-'s 


1S2 


NIMROD    IN    THE    NORTH. 


neck,  twists  it  till  it  almost  chokes  liiiu,  iind  then  dnigs  him  to  his  collar 
by  main  strength,  grasps  his  head  between  his  thighs,  and  then  slips 
the  collar,  which  is  very  tight,  over  the  head.  From  that  instant  the 
dog  is  quiet  and  submissive  enough."' 

A  team  of  dogs  means  any  number  from  a  couple  uj)  to  as  numy  as 
can  be  hitched  to  a  sledge,  a  seal,  a  piece  of  walrus,  or  a  carcass  of  a 
musk-ox,  polar  bear  or  reindeer,  according  to  whatever  is  to  be  dragged  ; 
for  on  the  hard,  compact,  nuirble-like  snows  of  the  Arctic  winter,  any 
animal  with  its  hair  on  nudges  a  good  enough  sledge  of  its  own  body, 
when  dragged  along  head  foremost,  to  disi)ense  with  a  vehicle  except  for 
long  distances.  I  have  already  written  of  their  bringing  in  the  carcasses 
of  reindeer  to  the  sledge  in  this  way  when  these  animals  are  killed 
en  route.  The  manner  of  hitching  these  teams  to  their  loads  varies 
considerably  with  the  country.  In  Siberia,  the  Hudson's  Ba}  Com- 
pany's country,  and  some  other  places,  they  are  placed  one  after  the 
the  other,  in  double  or  single  files,  as  shown  in  Figs.  1  and  2.    In  Xorth 


FIG. I. 


^'Ot' 


'<&&^ 


Hudson's  Bay,  and  the  Arctic  Ocean  around  King  William  Laud,  where 
most  of  my  Arctic  tra\^ls  lay,  I  f(mnd  the  dogs  hitched  with  traces  of 
unequal  length  so  as  to  look  likt^  a  letter  V,  the  point  foi'ward.  as 
shown  in  Fig.  3,  the  angle  also  being  tilled  with  dogs.     In  Greenland, 


I  was  told  by  Eskinu)  Joe.  my  interpreter,  the  harness  traces  are  of 
equal  length,  and  the  team  therefore  spread  out  in  the  shape  of  a  fan, 
as  shown  in  Fig.  4.  The  dog  at  the  point  of  the  V  (Fig.  ;|)  is  called  the 
leader  or  chief  {ishoomiiffiJx,  in  Innuit),  and  is  genei'ally  the  most 
intelligent  of  the  team,  although  not  necessarily  the  strongest  or  the 
best.  It  is  only  necessaiy  that  he  or  she  should  understand  the  tones 
of  the  voice  of  the  driver  as  to  when  he  wants  to  go  to  the  right  or  to 


DOGS    AND    DOG-SLEDGING. 


153 


the  left,  to  lialt,  to  go  aliead,  or  to  go  faster  or  slower,  as  all  the  other 
dogs  are  regulated  by  the  niovenieiits  of  the  leader,  and  he  (jr  she 
is  solely  regulated  by  the  driver's  voice,  soiuetiines  assisted  by  gently 
striking  the  snow  to  the  right  or  left  with  the  tip  of  the  whip-lash  to 
emphasize  certain  commands. 

These  vocal  comniaiuls  of  the  Eskimo  dog-drivers  of  Northern 
Hudson's  IJay  are  the  most  fearful  gibberish  and  tongue-twisting  articu- 
lations I  liave  ever  heard,  and  although  some  Arctic  writ(H-s  have 
essayed  to  imitate  them  by  phonetic  spelling  in  English,  I  should  as 
soon  think  of  trying  to  imitate  the  sound  of  thunder,  a  hen's  cackliui;, 
or  the  racket  made  by  a  wagon  on  a  corduroy  road.  I  have  never  seen  a 
white  man  who  coukl  imitate  them  even  so  well  that  the  Eskimo 
dogs  A\ould  understand  it,  and  therefore  hardly  thiidv  it  possible  to  do 
it  so  that  my  readers  could.  One  or  two  of  them  are  simple  enough, 
however.  For  instance,  our  '"  whoa-a-a-ah  !  "  Itmg  drawn  out  means 
''steady,  as  you  are,"  or  a  kind  of  vocal  encouragement,  and  it  seems 
strange  enough  when  you  lii'st  hear  it,  to  see  the  dogs  go  right  on  as  if 
nothing  had  been  said  at  all.  In  ordinary  tradings,  a  leader  is  con- 
sidered to  be  worth  two  common  dogs,  and  if  he  or  she  be  of  unusual 
intelligence,  three. 

I  have  already  spoken  of  the  food  used  in  the  Arctic  for  the  dogs,  in 
describing  walrus-hide  ijioic),  and  kelp-iish  that  are  caught  in  the 
natural  fish  traps  by  the  rise  and  fall  of  the  tide.  Should  the  carcass 
of  a  flensed  Avliale— which  is  one  that  has  had  its  blubber  stripped  from 
it  by  the  whalers— be  cast  ashore  near  their  village,  the  dogs  will  be 
lucky  indeed  ;  iov  if  it  be  only  of  fair  size,  there  will  always  be  enough 
dog-food  to  keep  them  comfortable  for  several  months.  The  natives  say 
that  when  pressed  with  hunger  in  the  summer  months,  the  dogs  will 
devour  large  (piantities  of  mud  from  the  shores  of  fresh  water  lakes, 
and  thus  manage  to  i)revent  starvation  until  something  eatable  turns 
up.  Early  in  the  Arctic  spring— that  is,  early  for  spring  in  their  climate, 
say  June,  when  the  young  reindeer  fawns  are  not  stiong  enough  for  a 
long  run— it  is  not  an  uiuMmimon  occurrence  for  a  hunting  dog  to  dis- 
appear from  a  camp  in  a  thickly  supi)lied  reindeer  country  and  to  be 
gone  for  several  days,  during  which  he  subsists  on  the  young  fawns. 


■i:| 


r  t :' 


Ii> 


u  \ 

! 

154 


NIMROD    IN    THE    NORTH. 


iff 


III 


•>  ;]'     'ij 


PiirsentMik— a  fiiif,  swift  liuntin.u-  do^'  belon^in^^  to  Toolooali's  team 
that  lias  already  ligiired  extensively  iiniiy  previous  hunting- anecdotes — 
disai)i)eiiie(l  from  uh  at  one  time  just  before  we  cj-ossed  the  Strait  to 
Kiiii;-  William  Lantl,  but  came  back  on  the  fourth  day,  looking'  as  if  he 
had  swallowed  a  keg,  and  was  worthlt\ss  for  a  day  or  two  afterward  on 
account  of  his  heavy  meal.  Tlie  natives  always  dislike  to  give  dogs  a 
hearty  meal  just  before  a  day's  work  is  expected  of  them,  for  then  they 
are  the  very  laziest  creatures  on  tlie  earth  and  require  double  the 
usual  amount  of  whipping  to  get  any  work  out  of  them. 

The  whip  is  made  just  the  length  of  the  longest  harness  trace,  so  as 
to  just  touch  the  leadei',  although  I  should  add  that  he  is  whipped  less 
than  any  other  dog  in  the  team.  The  Avhip  is  a  single,  long,  supple 
lash  of  tanned  seal-skin— the  skin  of  the  great  .seal,  ook-JooJi%—\v\t\\  a 
very  short  handle,  like  that  of  the  western  "  black-snake  "  whip.  The 
drivers  who  use  it  are  the  best  trained  men  with  a  whip  I  have  ever 
seen,  and  can  single  out  a  solitary  dog  in  a  rapidly  moving  comi^act 
mass  of  them,  and  cut  him  with  the  tip  of  the  lash  on  either  ear  with 
unfailing  dexterity.  From  their  early  infancy  to  childhood  and  thence 
to  manhood  they  are  constantly  using  this  instrument  and  thereby  ac- 
quire a  versatility  with  it  that  no  white  man  can  ever  equal.  Of  the 
Manitoba  whips  it  is  said  that  they  "are  of  plaited  cariboo  hide,  with 
from  2  oz.  to  8  oz.  of  small  shot  woven  into  them  to  give  them  weight." 
In  some  parts  of  the  Arctic  the  whip  is  unknown,  and  the  dogs  are 
driven  by  a  small,  stout  stick,  which  is  held  in  the  hands  when  not  used, 
and  hurled  when  necessary  at  any  refractory  or  lazy  dog  in  the  team. 
As  the  sledge  goes  by,  the  active  driver  recovers  it,  to  repeat  the  opera- 
tion when  needed. 

It  would  be  an  almost  endless  task  to  describe  the  many  varieties  of 
sledges  to  be  found  in  the  Arctic  regions,  for  they  vary  with  nearly 
every  tribe,  so  I  shall  confine  myself  to  those  that  came  under  my  per- 
sonal observation.  The  most  primitive  and  simple  sledge  of  all  is  one 
hewn  directly  out  of  the  ice— bed  and  runners.  One  would  think  such 
a  vehicle  must  be  extremely  fragile  and  liable  to  go  to  pieces  at  any 
moment,  and  it  is  not  as  strong  as  a  wooden  one,  but  so  long  as  the 
driver  keejis  along  the  level  shore  ice,  its  extreme  "corpulence"  and. 


1 1 


DOGS    AND    DOG-SLEDGING. 


155 


sti'on^jj  couistractiou  ivnder  it  a  vtM'y  sHi-vicfiible  conveyance ;  besides,  it 
has  the  advanta^ie  of  always  having-  ice  on  the  bottom  of  its  runners,  a 
most  necessary  iidjiinct  to  tlie  sledges  of  this  region  of  the  world,  Some- 
times these  bulky  runners  are  strengthened  by  freezing  in  them  the 
bodies  of  salmon  and  other  lish,  which  are  eaten  when  the  journey  is 
completed.  A  sledge  with  tliin  ice  spread  evenly  and  sniootldy  over 
the  bone-shoe  of  its  lunners  can  l)e  hauled  over  the  hard  snow-drifts 
with  from  on*  -third  to  one-h;ilf  as  many  dogs  as  it  would  otherwise 
take,  and  nothing  in  the  world  mak'sthe  native  sledge-man  so  angry  as 
to  strike  liis  runner  against  a  half-concealed  stone,  and  strip  the  beau- 
tiful ice-shoe  from  his  sledge. 

And  now  let  me  describe  this  ''icing"  of  the  runners  of  a  sledge 
and  speak  of  its  gn-at  benefits.  When  a  sledge  is  being  built,  the  last 
thing  to  do,  if  the  buiklerhasthematerial,  is  to  shoe  it  with  a  batten-like 
strip  of  bone  taken  from  the  jaw  of  a  whale,  which  shoe,  being  a  little  wider 
than  the  runner,  projects  over  on  both  sides — as  shown  in  cross-section 


<5° 


in  figure  A.  Lashings  of  whalebone,  or  large  woodt  'ii  screws,  enable  them 
to  be  fastened  securely,  and  this  bone  shoe  is  generally  rounded  on  its 
bearing  surface,  or  under  side.  To  "ice"  the  sledge,  it  is  turned  boi,- 
tom  side  uj),  and  the  first  coat  put  on.  Tliis  consists  of  pieces  of  snow 
about  as  big  as  one's  double  fist,  dipped  in  water  to  render  it  slushy  and 
soft.  These  the  native,  Avith  the  open  palm  of  his  hand,  ai)plies  to  the 
runner,  rubbing  them  backward  and  forward  until  they  form  a  level, 
smooth  and  solidly  frozen  surface  about  two  feet  along  the  runner,  and 
crimp  over  and  bind  on  the  projecting  flanges  of  the  bone  shoe,  as 
shown  in  tlie  upi'ight  shading  in  cross-section  in  fig.  B.  This  course  is 
continued  the  whole  length  t)f  the  runner.  This  frozen  snow  is  opaque 
and  looks  like  a  mass  of  ground  glass,  and  wiien  solidly  frozen — as  it 
will  be  even  while  the  man  is  rubbing  it — th«»  runner  is  ready  for  the 
second  coat,  or  linisliing  touches,  so  to  speak.  The  native  now  takes 
his  mouth  as  full  of  water  as  it  will  hold,  and  sends  a  gentle  spray  over 


A 


M 

■I     !' 


i 

1  it 

'  ''■    ", 

i      * 

11 

t  '■ 

■1 

1     f! 

166 


NIMIiOD    IX    THE    NOIiTII. 


the  frozen  snow  on  tlio  runners,  and  tliis  freezes  almost  as  fast  as  it 
Htrikes,  the  sled^e-nuin  at  the  same  time  rapidly  )unnlng  the  palm  of 
Ills  hand  l)a('k\var(l  and  forward  over  the  surface  to  give  it  a  i)ei-fe('t 
polish.  Sometimes  he  nses  a  i)ie('e  of  polar  bear  skin  for  a  little  while, 
to  save  his  hand  tiie  severe  friction,  but  the  lust  few  strokes  are  always 
with  the  oticnpalm  of  the  liand. 


AN  AKCTIC   SLEDCiE   PAIITY. 

This  process  finished,  the  sledge-runners  are  as  slippery  as  one  can 
imagine,  and  I  do  not  think  I  exaggeratt^  the  cdinparison  \\]un\  I  say  it 
is  as  mnch  easier  to  pull  a  sledge,  nicely  and  i)roiierly  iced,  than  one 
that  is  not.  asit  wonld  be  for  a  horse  to  i)nll  a  Inick  witlitlie  wheels  on 
than  one  that  had  them  taken  oil".  My  loiigest  sledge  was  so  heavy  that 
it  was  hard  work  for  any  one  of  the  i):irty  to  turn  it  over  so  that  Too- 
looah  couhl  ice  it.  and  it  Mould  have  taken  aconpleand  i)robably  three 
to  budge  it  if  the  runnel's  had  not  ])een  iced  ;  yet  Avhen  the  icing 
process  had  been  completed.  T  could  take  my  little  linger  (and  have 
often  done  it},  hooked  on  the  cross  lashings,  and  work  this  ixmuerous 


DOdFy    AND    DOG- PLEDGING. 


157 


vehiclf'  backward  and  forw  ard  as  far  as  I  coiild  movr  my  arm.  Several 
tiiut's,  without  iioticinju;  that  tlu'  snow  crust  was  unusually  sh)i)ing,  we 
have  tiinicd  tlu;  ice-sledge  over  gently  to  prevent  fractui'iug  the  ghicial 
HJioe,  and  havel)ef'n  surprised  to  see  it  start  down  the  grade  by  its  own 
weiglit.  It  was  aluiost  as  prone  to  do  this  as  a  wheeled  veiiicle  on 
rails. 

Of  courst' such  )L  valuable  but  fragile  adjuncst  to  their  most  important 
means  of  transportation,  must  be  tlie  cause  of  the  liveliest  solicitmle 
and  care  to  tlie  native  sledge-man,  to  see  thatit  is  not  injured  in  any  w:iy 
so  as  to  compromise  its  ntility.  In  no  place  does  the  superiority  of  a 
sledge-man  show  to  such  good  advantage  as  in  his  ability  to  conduct  his 
sledge  through  a  low,  rocky  portage  conr  Mug  *'\u  lakes,  or  over  tlie 
top  of  a  ridge  where  nearly  all  the  snow  lui^  been  l)lown  away,  withoi  t 
stripi>ing  the  ice  froui  his  sledge-runners  on  the  many  stones  that  are 
peeping  through  the  snow  in  every  direction.  I  have  seen  my  best 
sledu'e-driver,  Tooloah,  take  his  twenty-foot  sledge  througli  a  place  for 
a  couple  of  himdred  yards  where  it  would  seem  impossible  to  spread 
one's  coat  without  covering  a  stone,  an  1  yet  come  out  unscathed  ;  but 
it  reqnired  the  work  of  a  Hercules,  bol;;)ing  the  front  of  the  sledge  from 
one  side  to  the  other,  and  watching  tlie  rear  to  see  that  it  was  not 
thrown  against  or  over  a  rock.  So  important  is  it  to  keep  the  icing  on 
the  ledge-runner  bottoms,  that  if  it  is  ripped  olf  by  ;my  accident  the 
Eskimo  will  stop  at  tln'  tirst  lake  or  river  where  tliey  can  get  water  to 
wet  the  snow  and  give  it  a  second  coating,  Iiough  they  mav  have  to 
dig  through  seven  or  eight  feet  of  ice  to  get  it. 

When  <,iie  rellects  npon  the  value  of  tliis  siiupl'-  accessory  to  Arctic 
sledging,  aiid  ni)on  the  importance  of  sledging  tr  ait  oxi)edition  that 
desires  to  accom[)lish  anything  iu  thesis  regions,  and  also  that  rhis  art  is 
solely  m(;no])oliz»'(l  by  these  i»e()pl(\  it  at  once  shows  i  lie  great  advantage 
of  having  them  as  allies,  and  the  comi)arative  folly  of  sledge  journeys 
in  rough  Arctic  countries  without  them.  If  a  rough,  stony  place  inter- 
poses itself  where  the  projecting  rocks  are  so  numerous  that  it  really 
becomes  impossible  to  get  through,  all  the  persons  in  the  jiarty  will  take 
off  their  reindeer  coats  and  spread  them,  hairy  side  np,  over  the  stones 
that  the  iced  runners  would  strike  in  passing  by.     Lace  in  the  spring, 


lliil 


I 


■!|i 


B 


158 


NUIROD    IN    THE    NORTH. 


n   v< 


Jj   |i|. 


iiiili 


wlien  the  temperature  commences  approacliing  freeziii<.-  from  a  much 
lower  point,  the  ice  will  not  retain  its  hold  so  well  on  the  l)one  shoes, 
and  wlien  it  begins  to  melt,  extra  precauticms  have  to  be  taken  to  pre- 
vent it.  Halting  t(,  rest  on  a  warm,  sunnj/  day,  the  sledge  is  swung 
around  so  that  one  runner  is  protected  by  its  shadow,  while  the  other 
has  a  number  of  reindeer  clothes  or  blankets,  or  any  thing  of  that  nature 
spread  along  over  it  ro  keep  the  sun  oif.  The  least  little  bump,  at 
these  temperatuies.  is  vei-y  liable  to  knock  oi!  a  foot  or  two  of  the  ice, 
and  then  the  rest  is  easily  scaled  oif.  Wiien  it  becomes  so  Avarm  that 
the  ice  will  no  longer  retain  its  hold,  the  snow  on  which  the  sledge  runs 
becomes  of  a  soft  consistency  that  allows  tlu^  bare  bone  shoes  of  the 
runnei-s  to  glide  over  it  with  comparative  ease,  and  every  body  now 
wants  to  ride  on  the  sledge,  as  when  walking  they  are  sinking  up  to  tlie 
ankles  or  knees  in  the  half-slushy  mass. 

The  worst  experience  I  ever  had  in  sledging  was  on  Back's  River,  in 
December,  1870.     This  stream  is  full  of  rapids,  which  keep  open  the 
whole  wintei",  and  the  rising  steam  from  them  (for  they  look  like  huge 
boiling  cauldrons  in  the  intense  cold  of  winter)  freezes  into  a  tin^'e, 
gritty,  sand-like  mass  of  snow  that  covers  the  true  snow-drifts  with  a 
coating  as  of  resin  powder.     This  sticks  to  the  sledge-runners  in  any 
temperature  below  50°  ]<\,  and  I  think  the  thermometer  averaged  lower 
than  that  while  we  were  on  the  river.     But  even  this  was  not  the  worst 
obstacle  to  ti-av(  .  for  all  the  snow  that  had  lodged  on  the  river  ice  lay 
along  the  cracks  in  the  ice,  nearly  all  of  which  seemed  to  be  perpen- 
dicular to  the  axis  of  the  stream.    We  thus  had  snow  and  ice  alternately 
at  every  few  yards,  and  often  every  few  feet.     The  ice  of  the  river 
would  strip  the  icy  runner  coatings  from  tJie  sledge,  and  when  the  snow 
was  reached  the  ,l(»gs  would  re(piire  the  aid  of  all  the  members  of  the 
party  to  drag  it  oa  .t.     Either  ice  or  snow  ahme  Avoiild  have  allowed  us 
to  pi-oce<vl  at  a  go(,(l  round  gait,  but  tl-ir  alternation  made  it  the  most 
annoying  and  laborious  work  T  have  over  experic^nc'd.  and  we  always 
felt  lucky  if  the  /V/A^.v  in  the  morning's  cami)  wei-e  out  of  siffht  around 
some  bead  ol'  the  river  wh.'n  we  ],i,.kM,l  out  our  ciuup  Tor  fho  evening. 
At   the  y.vy  first   t'avoi'abl.'  op])ortuiiify   1  abandoned  tin-  rivei'.  and 
fouml   th.>  hilly  country  b.-twen  it  and   Hudson's  Bay  nuich  better 
a(hii)ted  to  sledging  (han  even  its  level  bed. 


DOGS    AND    DOG-SLEDGING. 


159 


AVliile  on  the  Hayes  River,  ii  branch  of  tlie  Great  Fish  River,  during- 
the  spring  of  the  year,  so  late  that  the  ic(^  would  not  stay  on  the  run- 
ners, we  found  a  great  dejil  of  snow  on  tlie  river  ice  was  mixed  with 
sand  blosvn  from  the  banks  during  the  pievalence  of  liigli  Avinds,  and 
this  acted  like  sandi)jiper  on  the  bare  bone  shoes,  so  that  by  the  time  we 
left  it  we  had  ground  those  shoes  to  about  half  their  usual  thickness, 
and  we  felt  a  little  uneasy  lest  they  sliould  bi'eak  under  liard  knocks. 
So  indeed  they  did  several  times,  but  ne-\er  badly  enough  to  i)ut  us  to 
serious  inconvenience. 

In  a  great  many  i)arts  of  the  Arctic  it  is  imi)o.-:sib]e  to  procure  the 
bone  from  a  v.hale  for  sledge-shoes,  and  then  the  wet  snow  is  applied 
directly  to  the  bottom  of  thertnmers,  and  before  itsai)plicati(ni  is  mixed 
with  boggy  mud,  full  of  root  stocks  and  grass  stems  to  keep  it  together. 
A  favorite  mixture,  when  it  can  be  obtained,  is  the  undigested  mass 
taken  from  the  stomach  of  a  reindeer.  Among  the  Netschilliks,  who 
confine  their  sledging  to  the  level  coasts  of  the  Arctic  Ocean,  where  it 
is  of  tlie  best  character,  and  wlio  kill  no  whales  to  furnish  them  with 
bone,  we  found  the  runners  shod  with  pure  ice.  Trenches  the  length 
of  the  sledge  are  dug  in  the  ice,  and  into  these  the  runners  are  lowered 
some  two  or  three  inches,  yet  not  touching  the  bottom  of  the  trench  by 
fully  the  same  distance.  Water  is  then  poured  in  and  allowed  to  freeze, 
and  Avhen  the  sledge  is  lifted  out  it  is  shod  with  shoes  of  perfectly  i)ure 
and  transparent  ice.  So  transparent  is  this  ice,  that  when  the  sledge  is 
in  rapid  motion,  it  sometimes  prodiu'es  a  peciiliai- oi)ti('al  illusion,  one 
imagining  that  the  sledge  is  some  three  or  four  inches  from  the  ground, 
swinging  out  behind  like  a  kite's  tail  in  its  rapid  fiight.  When  not 
even  wood  can  beiirocured,  t]\o  ice-sledge  already  explained  is  adopted, 
or  the  skin  of  a  polar  bear  or  musk-ox  may  be  used,  if  it  be  dragged 
with  the  hair  ])()inting  backward. 

The  ratio  of  width  to  length  in  their  sledges  varies  with  the  differ<'nt 
tribes.  The  Hudson  Bay  Eskimo  observe  al)()utthe  propoi'tionsus;ally 
seen  in  boys'  sledges  used  for  coasting,  although  on  a  scale  live  or  six 
times  as  large.  The  Kinnepetoos  of  (-liestHrfield  Inlet,  on  the  c(mtrary, 
often  have  sledges  of  from  twenty-live  to  thirty  feet  in  length  and  only 
a  foot  or  a  foo,  and  a  half  in  width,  claiming  that  these  go  over  rough 
ground  much  easier  than  those  of  the  ( .,  :>mon  kind. 


ii... 


i 

1 

! 

i    : 

iil 

■'  '  1 

1 

■    ! 

:    . 

i!J 

" 
■ 

■ 

11 


Ivj 


160 


NIMROD    IN    THE    NORTH. 


"  How  fast  can  a  sledge  go  ?"  and  "  How  fur  can  you  travel  in  a  (h\y 
with  tlieniT'   are  indelinite  questions,  asked  nearly-  as  often  as  the 
equally  unanswei'able  one  about  the  size  of  the  Eskimo  dogs,  and  the 
reply  is  al)out  as  satisfactory— namely— "They  can  travel  nearly  as  fast 
and  f  ull y  as  far  as  a  horse." '     If  the  sledge  has  a  maxinuim  load  (say  150 
to  2(K)  pounds  per  dog,  on  salt  water  ice,  or  half  that  in  inland  sledging), 
the  party  can  make  from  ten  to  twenty  miles  a  day  and  keep  it  up 
about  the  same  as  a  light  expedition  of  troops.     With  a  splendid  team 
of  from  ten  to  iifteen  dogs,  drawing  only  a  driver  and  light  sledge, 
seventy-live  or  even  a  hundred  miles  can  be  made  in  a  day—for  one  or 
two  trips— especially  along  the  coast.     AVhile  in  the  heavy,  hummocky 
ice  of  Victoria  Channel,  I  only  made  ten  miles,  with  a  fair  load,  in  four- 
teen hours'  hard  work  ;  yet  I  havebe<  n  told  of  a  reliable  incident,  when 
life  and  death  hung  upon  the  rapidity  of  action,  and  forty-hve  dogs 
were  hitched  to  a  light  sledge,  with  two  of  the  ablest  native  drivers 
working  on  the  team  from  each  side,  where  twelve  or  thirteen  miles  were 
made  in  almost  double  as  many  minutes,  t-"  rescue  a  lost  sailor  from 
the  whaling  ships  in  Repulse  Bay. 


CHAPTER    VIII. 


HUNTING  AND   FISHING  IN   FAR-OFF  ALASKA. 


Whenever  the  moose,  the  noisiest 
game  of  the  deer  tribe,  is  the  central 
figure  in  a  hunting  story,  tlie  sports- 
man's mind  naturally  wand(M-s  to 
Maine  and  tlie  adjacent  Canadian 
provinces,  as  if  that  region  were  his 
only  habitat.     And  probably  it  is,  in 
a  sportsman's  sense,  but  neverthe- 
less he  extends  his  wanderings  even 
into  that  part  of  the  earth  bounded 
by  the  Arct      fUrcle,  by  folkiwing 
the  valley  oi  the  Yukon  River — the 
grandest    stream    in    our    Alaskan 
possessions,  and  which  dips  for  a  short  distance  into  that  frigid  z(me. 
The  author,  with  a  party  of  seven  whites  and  over  half  a  hundred 
Indians,  "packed"  their  effects  on  their  biicks  across  the  glacier-clad 
Alaslvan  Alps  to  the  lakes  at  the  liead  of  the  Yukon,  and  buildijig  tliere 
a  liirge  raft,  floated  upon  it  over  1,800  miles  down  the  stream.     ]S"«>iirly 
ino  miles  of  lakes  were  sailed  and  "tracked"  across,  many  rapi<ls  and 
cascades  were  "shot,"  overlialf  a  thousiind  miles  of  totally  unexplored 
country  was  mapped,  and  as  much  more,  imniouslv  known  only  to  the 
hnlf-civilized  r(,;/<i(/(')ir!i  and  Indi;iu  traders  of  that  reoion,  mjKhi  f;nnil- 
iar  to  students  of   geograpliy.     To  narrate  the  hunting  and   lishing 
adventurevof  this  ])!ii'ty.  and  describ(^  the  game  of  the  localities  they 
traversed  :,  'd  tlie  native  methods  employed  in  securing  it,  is  the  object 
of  this  ( liapter. 

The  sportsman  subject  to  sea-sickness  may  thank  his  stars   that 


lllf^ 


162 


NIMROD    IN    THE    NORTH. 


a<i;ree.s  wt 


Alaska,  altlioiigli  rea<,'lied  l)y  no  railioad,  is  on  a  route  t] 
with  tender  stomaclis.  For  a  distance  oi'  over  a  thousand  nnU's  lie 
travels  ui)on  the  ocean,  and  yet,  even  in  the  most  tempestuous  -weather, 
his  ship  steams  along  almost  as  smoothly  as  if  on  a  mill-imnd.  Off  the 
coast  of  Washington  Territory,  ]?ritisli  Columbia  and  south-eastern 
Alaska  are  numberless  islands,  pi'otecting  a  channel  near  the  mainland 
called  the  ''inland  passage,"  which  is  i)ractically  a  long,  salt-water 
river.  In  fact  it  would  be  mistaken  for  a  river,  so  unvarying  is  its 
width  and  so  calm  its  Avaters,  if  now  and  then  an  opening  in  the  natural 
break-water  did  not  allow  the  sea  to  roll  in,  in  long,  heavy  swells, 
that  disturb  the  sliij)  for  a  brief  hour  or  two.  Through  this  "inland 
passage"  we  steamed  lor  a  week  in  the  latter  part  of  May.  1883,  imagin- 
ing sometimes  that  we  were  on  the  lluds(m,  alongside  of  the  highlands, 
the  Delaware  at  the  Water  Gap,  or  the  Columbia  at  the  Cascades. 

The  29th  of  ^May  v,e  crossed  Dixon  Entrance,  the  dividing  channel 
between  British  Columbia  and  Alaska,  and  the  same  day  entered  Boca  de 
Quadra  Inlet  to  leave  some  freight  for  a  new  salmon  cannery  that  was 
being  put  up  by  a  '\\v.  Ward.  This  gentlenuin  Avas  something  of  a 
practical  sportsman  himself,  and  a  few  days  before  had  been  up  the 
narrow  mountainous  valley  of  the  little  slream  that  emptied  near  his 
prospective  cannery  with  an  Indian  guide,  and  had  seen  eight  black 
bears,  securing  two  of  them — whose  robes  he  showed  with  much  satis- 
faction. One  had  been  secured  by  himself  with  a  double-barreletl  shot- 
gun, and  the  other  by  his  Indian  com])anion  with  a  Hint-lock  smooth- 
bore musket,  loaded  with  ht^avy  shot.  Our  steame)-  brought  him  a 
rifle  which  he  had  ordered,  and  with  which  he  ])i'()posed  sjjeedily  to 
raise  his  l)ear  score  a  little  higher  than  t\veiity-ti\'e  i)er  cent,  of  the 
Avhole  num1)erseeii.  These  black  beais  are  veiy  numei'ous  in  the  south- 
eastern ]iartof  Alaska,  in  th(>  high  Aljjinc  country  bordering  on  tjie 
"iidand  ])assage,'"  and  tlie  Indians  kill  luimbersof  lliem.  both  foi'  their 
glossy.  Jet-black  robes,  and  theii-  meat,  which  is  considered  a  great 
delicacy.  Their  hunting  is  sim])le,  and  consists  in  trc^eing  them  with 
dogs  and  then  shooting  tln'm  out  of  the  branches  lilve squirrels. 

Through  this  i)art  of  Alaska  tlie  grizzly  also  roams,  if  weare  to  trust 
the  nomenclature  of   some  of  the  white  resi(h'!its.  althouiili  I  believe 


HUNTING    AND    FISHING    IN    ALASKA. 


163 


what  they  call  the  <^i'izzly  is  only  the  large  brown  bear  or  ' '  barren-ground 
bear"  of  this  part  of  the  country.  I  saw  none  of  their  robes,  and  Mr. 
AVard  told  me  that  very  few  people  disturb  these  animals  in  wearing 
them.  They  have  a  violent  antip;tthy  to  having  their  skins  offered  for 
sale,  and  the  Indians  especially  have  great  resi)ect  for  this  feeling.  It 
seems  as  if  even  the  little  black  bears  avoid  these  big  brown  brothers, 
according  to  the  same  informant,  and  whei-ever  the  hunter  linds  one,  he 
is  sure  the  other  does  not  inhabit  the  same  district.  The  distric^ts  can 
all  be  jumbled  up  like  squares  on  a  checker  board,  but  the  Indians  and 
the  black  bears  take  considerable  pains  not  to  intrude  on  the  parts  pre- 
empted by  tlie  brown  ones. 

The  wholesome  fear  of  the  brown  bear  by  the  natives  I  found  every- 
where on  my  travels  in  Alaska  and  the  British  Northwest  Territory  ; 
but  the  other  theory  regarding  the  coolness  existing  between  the  two 
kinds  of  bears  is,  I  think,  sliiihtlv  misunderstood.  At  least  I  found  it 
to  be  so  on  one  or  two  occasions,  of  which  I  will  speak  in  due  time. 
One  thing  is  universal,  and  that  is  the  poor  quality  of  the  flesh  of  all 
the  laiger  kinds  of  bear,  and  as  the  robe  of  the  brown  bear  of  Alaska 
is  practically  wortldess  as  a  fur,  there  is  not  much  inducement  for  the 
natives  or  any  one  else  to  risk  encounters  with  them  just  for  the  fun 
of  it. 

The  sides  of  the  steep  hills  are  heavily  covered  both  with  upright 
and  fallen  timlx^r,  ovt-r  the  latter  being  a  thick  carpeting  of  moss, 
thoroughly  saturated  with  water  from  the  melting  snows  and  glaciers  on 
the  mountain  tops.  It  is  almost  impossible  to  describe  :i  walk  in  this 
jungle,  and  about  inqtossible  to  ]^enetrate  some  parts  of  it  so  that  it 
4':in  be  described.  Once  successful  in  climbing  near  to  the  tops  of  the 
liills,  howevei',  a  few  openings  may  there  be  found  in  which  the  climber 
may  possibly  see  a  black-tailed  de(n\  a  mountain  goat,  or  peichance 
a  bear,  but  I  think  that  any  lover  of  ganu^  who  had  ever  made  one 
ascent,  and  still  longed  for  a  venison  steak  or  a  bear  chop,  would  be  found 
looking  around  the  market  stalls  for  it  the  second  time. 

From  Boca  de  Quadra  Inlet  we  sailed  for  Wrangell,  the  most  dilapi- 
dated, tuuibie-down  little  village  1  ever  saw.  It  is  on  an  island  not  far 
from  the  mouth  of  the  iStickeen  River,  the  largest  stream  of  this  part 


164 


NIMIiOD    IN    THE    NORTH. 


m        H 


of  Alaska.     Up  tliis  river  some  distance  are  the  Cassiar  gold-mines  of 
British  Columbia,  and  as  they  "pan  out,"  to  use  a  western  nuning- 
expression,  so  Jiuctuates  Wrangell,  its  base  of  supplies.     At  the  time  of 
my  visit  it  was  at  very  low  ebb  of  tide.     The  hunting  and  fishin-^   in 
this  locality  is  the  same  as  that  of  the  whole  length  of  tins  nanow 
strip  of  Alaska,  sometimes  called  the  "tide-water  strip.-     Amon-st 
the  curiosities  offered  for  sale  by  the  8tickeen  Indians,  we  found  carml 
ludibut  hooks,    spoons  carved   fantasticallv  from   the   horns  of    the 
mountain  goats  and  sheep,  and  other  objects,  whi<.h  showed  that  the 
Stickeens  do  occasionally  go  hunting  and  iishing.     Throuo-]i  all  this 
"tide-water  strip,"  we  sau'  Indians  with  theii-  faces  blackened  until 
they  resembled  negro  minstrels  nu.ch  more  closely  th.ui  the  pro.ul  red 
men,  as  they  are  painted.     This  coating  of  black  helps  to  prevent  their 
faces  bhsteringwhen  they  are  iishing  on  the  srill  waters  in  a  blazinusun 
Chilkat  Inlet,  the  northei'nmost  waters  of  th.   -inland  passa<-e  "  was 
reached  June  2.  and  we  disembarked  for  our  overlaml  journev  to  the 
lieadwaters  of  the  Yukon  River.     In  this  section  of  tl.e  countiN  "li-     he 
Chilkat  Indians-the  greatest  liunters  of  the  great  Tlinkir'naiion  - 
which  extends  from  the  mouth  of  Copper  Kiver  to  iJixon   Entrance 
and  of  which  the  Stickeens  are  a  clan.     Several  passes  in  the  Alaskan 
coast  range  of  mountains  in  their  country  give  them  unusual  facilities 
for  trading  with  the  Indians  of  the  interior,  and  their  excursions  inland 
afford  them  many  hunting  adventures.     Black  bear  robes  are  numerous 
amongst  then.,  and  on  their  Alpine  trips  they  see  manv  wild  mountain 
goats,  which  they  secure,  and  their  hair  is  woven  into  the  most  beauti- 
±ul  blankets  of  odd  and  artistic  designs,  really  wonderful  forsava-e 
displays  of    textile   industry.       They   are  constantly   spoken   of   as 
"blankets,"  but  are  really  shawls,  being  woven  and    worn  as  such 
They  have  long  since  ceased  to  exist  as  wearing  ai.parel  amon- then, 
and  are  kept  and   sold   only  as  cu.'iosities,  for  which  they  fiml  a  nu.st 
ready  market,  or  as  dancing  robes  for  state  occasions. 

Shortly  after  our  a.-rival  we  Avere  spectators  of  a  bear  h, n.t  on  the 
most  ap,,.-oved  theatrical  scale.     High  u],  on  the  steep  n.ountain  sides 
in  the  little  clearings  about  midway  between  the  fingers  of  the  glaciers 
on  the  summits  and  the  dense  timber  at  the  base,  there  can  nearly  every 


HUNTING    AND    FISIUXG    IN   ALASKA.  165 

evening  be  seen  a  bear  or  two  if  tlie  w... .  her  be  clear,  coming  out  to  feed 
on  the  roots  and  berries  lliat  there  abonnd.  Several  times  avc  took  our 
glasses  and  watched  Bruin,  for  many  minutes  at  a  time,  In-owsing  some 
two  thousand  feet  above  our  heads.  One  beautiful,  quiet  evening,  an 
nnusnally  huge  black  fellow,  with  glossy  coat,  waddletl  out  into  an 
open  field  and  nosed  around  for  quit.^  a  while,  looking  down  at  us  now 
and  then,  as  a  man  standing  on  the  AVashington  Monument  might  view 
the  iMM)i)le  looking  like  little  ants  promenading  in  Pennsylvania 
Avenue.  An  Imlian  with  more  energy  than  you  usually  iind  in  a 
whole  tiibe,  actuated  by  the  large  number  of  spectators  he  would  have 
for  a  display -of  his  prowess,  and  the  i)ros])ects  of  a  bear  robe  to  trade 
for  tea  and  tobacco,  loaded  up  his  musket,  liung  it  over  his  shoulder 
caivl.'ssly,  looked  up  at  the  position  of  the  bear,  yawned,  and  then 
commenced  the  ascent  with  a  nonchidant  air,  as  if  lie  had  done  the 
very  same  tiling  two  oi-  three  times  a  day  ever  since  he  was  a  boy. 
The  minute  he  entered  the  dense  timber  he  was  effectually  hidden 
from  sight,  and  there  was  nothing  lo  do  but  to  watch  the  bear. 

Nearly  two  weary  hours  had  elapsed  ;  many  of  tlu^  audience  uad 
gone  out  several  times  and  returned  to  their  private  boxes,  which  they 
turned  up  on  end  and  resum<^d  their  sitting,  when  the  Indian  emerged 
in  the  chviring  just  below  the  bear.  A  score  of  field  glasses  and  tele- 
scopes were  pointed  upward  as  the  man  was  seen  to  creep  toward  the 
doomed  animal.  When  apparently  but  thirty  or  forty  yards  away  he 
peeped  over  a  bush,  with  t>xtended  neck,  and  then  sank  cautiously  be- 
hind it,  and  ran  backwards  as  fast  as  his  legs  would  carry  him,  into  the 
h.M.vy  l)iMish.  A\'e  hardly  knew  what  to  think,  but  the'bear  Avas  more 
fortunate  in  his  mental  evolution,  and  simply  turned  tail— the  bear  has 
n  short  tail  and  a  (piick  turn-and  left  the  place  at  about  the  same  rate 
as  the  fudian.  their  combined  speed  in  diametrically  oi)])osite  directions 
soon  placing  each  of  them  beyond  danger  from  the  other.  The  Indian 
yame  down  a  few  hours  afterward  and  reported  that  he  had  seen  noth- 
ing of  tlK' bear— although  he  had  acted  in  our  jn-esence  as  if  he  had 
seen  a  thousand  ! 

So  givatly  do  the  Thilkats  revere  the  great  brown  bear  of  their 
land,  that    in    their   social    sub-divisions,    named    after    animals   and 


i 


16(5 


I' 


XIMUOD    IN    THE    NORTH. 


'e 


iishes,  the  brown  or  -  rinnmnon  "  lu-ur  ch.n  ;nv  1 1,<.  -  hio],  ,aste  "  Tlie 
C^-mvs  are  aristaerntie  but  inferior,  an.l  b„tli  l.ok  ,l<,wu  „n  ih,>  plebeian 
W  Jiales  and  Wolves  and  other  /o„]„u.i<,,l  divisions.  T]i,>  -eini.ann.n- 
bears  head  i.s   the  hin-luvst  syn.b„l  worshiped,  and  most  of  ll.ose  they 

taee  are  made  of  copper  and  w<,od-Mhegenuine  art  iele  inspiring  ,„  ,,,; 
tJiat  insnres  a  ])resentati()n  of  the  b;,,.k  ! 

Their  lisliino-  eonsists  mostly  of  that  eharaeler  which,  while  int.-r- 
estinu'.  liardly  comes  nnder  the  head  <,f  sportiii^-.  The  principal  lish 
they  catcli  is  the  salmon,  inim.Mise  .pauitities  of  which  thev  ston^  away 
^.r  winter  nse.  It  is  caught  in  traps  near  the  rapids  and  cascades  oi 
tlie  rivers  near  wlu.-li  they  build  their  vijlages.  lu  the  large  space 
in  f r(,nt  of  tlieir  dwellings  are  great  networks  of  trellises,  heavily  laden 
with  drying  salmon. 

Numbers  of  them  are  used  in  making  oil,  wliich  they  use  as  a  s(,rt 
of  gravy  with  dried  salmon  or  berries.     A  canoe,  for  want  of  a^  lar..<.r 
vessel,  IS  sunk  half  way  to  the  top  in  a  hole  in  the  groun.l,  and  a  lit'tle 
water  is  put  inside  of  it.     Into   this  the  natives  throw  the  salmon^ 
especially  the  fat  ones,  until  they  are  three  ,>r  four  iish  deep  for  nearl^^ 
lie  length  of  the  canoe.     Then  large  stones,  that  have  been  lieated  as 
hot  as  possible  in  a  rude  stone  furnace,  are  thrown  in  and  the  water  is 
kept  boding  and  steaming  till  nearly  all  the  oil  is  -  rendered  out "  and 
skimmed  from  the  top.     The  fishes  are  then  traiupled  npon,  to  squeeze 
out  what  IS  left.     September  is  the  givat  sahnon  month,  and  after  the 
season  IS  over  the  natives  indulge  in  n.any  festivities,  including  danc- 
ing, singing,  ami-better  than  all  -plenty  of  eating. 

Trout  are  also  caught,  even  in  the  winter  tiuu.rby  cuttiug  h<,les  in 
the  ice  and  sprinkling  in  salmon  eggs,  ami  then  spearin^,^  the  iishes  when 
the^-  congregate  to  eat  the  eggs.  Salmon  eggs  preserved  in  salu.on  oil 
make  a  villainous  sort  of  caviare. 

Here  they  also  catch  the  Arctic  smelt,  or  -  candle-tish,-  as  they  aiv 
sometimes  called,  being  so  fat  that  when  dried  and  set  tire  to  at  on;  end 
they  burn  u].  slowly  until  consumed,  and  ,.an  therefo.v  be  used  as 
candles.  Their  oil  ,of  lard-like  consistency,  is  also  used  as  food 
Millions  of  small  iish  are  secured  by  simply  driving  nails  throud.  a 
board,  about  as  far  apart  as  the  width  of  the  hsh,  and  then  using  it 


f  ^ 

Kj 

-iii; 

HUNTING    AND    FISH  INC.     IN    ALASKA. 


167 


somewhat  like  ji  pii<l(lle  as  ii  caiioc  is  propelled  tliroiioh  the  dense 
swurms.  Every  stroke  of  the  hoaid  impales  three  oi-  four  lislies,  ami  it 
does  not  take  many  hours  to  load  an  ordinary  canof.  The  boat  mean- 
while is  kept  in  motion  by  a  couple  of  i)a(ldles  plied  vigorously  at  the 
stern,  the  man  in  the  bow  beating  the  water  with  his  board.  Trenches 
are  du.i,^  in  the  gravelly  beaches  down  into  the  water,  and  into  these  are 
thrown  the  fish,  the  women  and  children  cleaning  them  at  their  leisur<', 
as  they  live  a  long  time  in  the  water.  They  are  then  dried,  after  being 
strung  on  sticks  and  mounted  in  trellises. 

Ducks  of  all  kinds  are  numerous  enough,  as  one  would  imagine  from 
the  large  numl)er  of  inlets  and  channels  into  which  this  part  of  Alaska 
is  cut  u[);  and  nmsidering  the  usimlly  hard  w(n'k  a  sportsman  would 
have  with  the  land  game,  the  aquatic  varieties  are  the  (mly  kind  I  can 
recommend  for  real  siH)rt  to  a  visitor  with  hunting  proclivities.  The 
Indians  do  not  hunt  theui  niucii,  as  there  is  so  little  meat  to  be  got  in 
proportion  to  the  labor  expended.  Seals  are  occasionally  canght,  but 
they  are  not  so  fat  as  those  in  the  Arctic  waters  further  north,  and  as 
their  Hesh  looks  much  darker  I  fancy  it  is  not  so  good.  Grouse  till  the 
woods,  and  several  varieties  are  known,  some  of  them  semi-Arctic  in 
character.  While  at  Chilkat,  in  the  early  pai-t  of  June,  we  could  hear 
them  hooting  in  the  woods.  However  tempting  vliey  may  be  to  a 
sportsman,  he  should  remend)er  what  I  liave  said  about  the  impractica- 
bility of  the  Alaska  woods. 

My  Indians  were  engaged  as  ])ackers,  each  adult  carrying  about  a 
liundn'd  pounds  on  his  back,  and  we  got  away  June  7  for  the  hds.e  at 
the  head  of  the  Yidvon,  said  to  be  about  forty  or  fifty  nules  away. 

I  could  not  but  notice  the  very  peculiar  manner  of  expressing 
surprise  used  by  the  Chilkat  Indians.  Whenever  one  sets  up  a  pro- 
hmged  shout  of  "  ya-a-a-a-ah  !  "  at  any  thing  that  attracts  his  notice, 
such  as  the  mishap  of  a  companion  in  slipi)ing  into  tlie  water  or  falling 
from  a,  log.  every  one  within  hearing,  from  2  to  200.  instantly  joins  in, 
and  a  great  i)rolonge(l  chorus  goes  up  that  woidd  astonish  any  one  not 
used  to  it.  This  may  be  rei)eated  a  half  a  dozen  tjmes  in  a  minute,  and 
the  suddenness  with  which  it  commences  (the  originator  can  hardly  l)e 
picked  out)  and  stoi)s.  reminds  one  of  a  gang  of  coyotes  around  a  camp 


168 


NIMROD    IN    THE    NORTH. 


on  tlie  i)Iuins,  or  tlie  liowlinns  of  Ind 


iaii  or  Kskinu)  dogs  on  clear,  rold 


On   hH  Lttle  J)ay„y  River,  ou.si.k  ,„■  .|i  ««„„  „,  ,„.,„,„„  „,  J,,. 
.on   w„„  ,H,..  journey  fnlly  con.n.nceU,  we  ex,.e,.,..„  to  en  oy      I 
mn  ,n«.n,l  „«,„„«..     i„  the  valley  we  i'onnda  n„n,l,e..  „,  -Stil'    " 
he  l„I,k.hee.l,  or  inland  In,linn,  are  ealled,  and  thev  told  „,     e    „.,  1 
h"»  n.S.orbhK.k  hear.,,  whieh  are  ,„„..„a„y  ,„entn-ul  in    Wsl 
S^trolhng  away  iron,  the  two  or  ,hree,,,n„«  we  „,ade  on  the  ri    ,     ; 
v.e  as,.ended  „«  valley,  we  often  foand  bear  tracks  of  va.-ion,  a "/  '„  . 
one  day  we  »aw  »on,ethin,M.,„re  „al„a,„e,  in  the  »h,,i,e  of  .  WW 
hea,-    perched  on  a  granite  ridge  of  the  n,o„ntain  side,  „o       U      !^ 
hand,,,  yards  away.     A  h,.  was  opened  with  a  ..^JZ^LZ 

before  the  s..c„nd  shot  conld  be  fired,  the  bear  b „„e  so  „  ,.™      ^ 

n,„at,e„tthat  l,e  leaped  and  rolled  over  the  ridge  i:.,o  thee,    ™  .,  "' 

ti,i,be,-  beneath  and  di.sap].ea,-ed  f,„n,  si-ht  ^".a).,„.,iol 

The  whole  length  of  the  Dayay  was  fished  with  bait  and  with  fly  bnt 

neuher  ab.ten,,ra  .-rise-' rewarded  the hsl,er„,en,  ,,lth„,,gh  th  J,  dhn 
ch  front  .n  ,t  in  fhei,.  h.^h-weirs,  „r  at  ,e„st  so  „.,«:,,,,  ,         e, 
they  ottered  some  for  sale.     Like  all  strea.ns  fed  bv  glaciers  ..rind i,' 
over  calca,e„„s  beds,  its  ice-cold  wate,.s  a,,,  ve.v  ^Idte  ■„,d'^<  1 

a>e,s,on  of     he  Dayay  front  to  onr  n.ost  fa.scinating  -tlies"  on  the 
tI.eo,.y   hat  the  .strean,  being  now  fnl,  „,  saln.on  .spa;„.  th Iv  1     I  , 
.nd„,at>on   o  take  snch  ri.sks  while  theyhadsncha  s„re  thing 

nea.l,  .,11  the  Indians  tnrned  o„t  ,.„t,i„g  ,p,.„ee  poles  f,„n,  a  thi,.ke 

nearby,wheregrewadense„,assof,l,e„,asst,„ight  s,.„,.tai„.,    I 
-.■y.n."  b„t  Itttle  n,o,.e  in  dia.neter  fron,  end  to  end.  and  w  n  . 

then,  ve,.ydes,rable  for  fishing  poles.    A  fl,.e  ha,l  swept  ,|„.o„  e 

woods  a  year,,,,  two  before  and  th,..se  poles  we,,.  „„„„  .  ,.„,      ^ 

n  the  V  ;rt'ir"'i  *"?■  r'"™  -  "'••""••■'-'-i  .^i*-.  ^"  eo.".„o„  „,  o : 

Il.e  pole  (P.p.),,  f,.o„,  e,gi,t  f„   twelve  feet  lo,,..  and  si„,il.,r  ,„  •„, 

or, bnary  speard,and,e.     , It  was  these  that  the  Ci.kats  w,    .     , 

.«  tl,e  brash  for  the,,.  f„t,„.e  .sain,  ,„  hnnting  after  they  ret„„,edf™'; 


#••% 


HUNTIXG    AND    FISHIXU    m   ALASKA. 


169 


packing  my  etfncts  Mcross  the  in'jiiutains  to  the  Yukon's   Ix-ad.)    Tlie 

bent  anns   (A.   A.)  are  made    of  ehistie  wood  or  horn,   and   readily 

spring  outward  to  any  ordinary  force  ajjplied. 

Tile  spikes  (8.  S.  S.)  are  of   iron.   (•o})per    or 

ivory,  and  are  very  sharp  at  their  jjoints.     F. 

is  a  fish,  with  dorsal   tin  at   J).,  showing  the 

manner  of  api)lying  the  instrument  in  si)earing 

ii  lisii.    The  next  day  we  had  a  long,  severe  day's 

>)urney  of  tenor  twelve  miles,  full\  .Hpial  to 

any  forty  oi-  iifty  on  ordinary  roads.     In  the 
dense  woods  we  could  hear  the  constant  twit- 
tering   of    small  birds,  and  the  hooting  and 
drumnnng  of  the  larger  ones,  and  this  com- 
bined  with  the   hard  work  of  sti'uggling  over 
fallen  trees  and  through  marshy  bogs  made  ns 
imagine  that  we  were  nearer  the  equator  than 
the    Arctic    Circle.     AVe    reached  camp  that 
evening    about    seven    o'clock,    having  been  <' 
twelve  hours  on  tlie   way,  and  having  rested 
about  two-thirds  of  the  time,  the  trail  being 
plenty  rough  enough  to  wan-ant  it.    We  camped 
atapleasant]  dace  called  the  "stone-houses"— 

being  only  a  jumbled  mass  of  huge  boidders 

nndei-  which  the  Indians  crawl  for  i)rotection 

whenever  the  snow  covers  the  ground.     It  was 

still  around  us,  but  we  could  lind  enough  places  to  sleep  without  getting 

uinler  the  large  rocks. 

Just  after  camping,  a  large  mountain  goat  was  seen  nearly  at  the 
top  of  th(^  western  ridge,  loonung  probably  three  thousand  feet  above 
US.  I  was  just  able  to  make  him  out  with  the  aid  of  my  lield-glass,  but 
the  Indians  knew  him  at  once  w  ith  their  eagle  eyes,  although  his  skin 
was  as  white  as  snow,  and  snow  and  glaciers  snrrounded  him  on  all 
sides.  To  add  difficulties  to  his  detection,  he  was  as  motionless  as  a 
statue,  but  once  in  a  while  would  exchang.-  <>nds  with  a  military  prompt- 
ness suggestive  of  an  okl  veteran  on  guard.     It  was  at  onJ  of  these 


1   ;; 

-     t 

1  ■ 

1 

i  '• ' 

1 

iiii 


i 


■is' 


E' 


170 


NIMROD    IX    THE    NORTH. 


ahcut  faon     movements  .h.t  I  .lete.tecl  his  pmsenre.     Th.  terrible 
en.n,NMr,.we,..j..tmaae]Kulweari.^^^^ 
tlMttl,eo.,„t  was  as  sale  as  if  he  luul  been  ,.n  t<.i,  „^  A|..,,.t  St    Fli-.s 
until  a  ••  St.ek ''  Indian,  who  luul  carried  abont  a  h,u,  ir. ,-  and  tw      v 

^^,..unds  over  the  trail    picked  up  his  tlint-loek  ^   .  and  start^I 

attu  h„u.    He  disappeared  across  the  valley,  but  ^,a.  '  ■<     seen  'vninst 
the  steep  sno.  on  the  other  side,  np  which  l.e  cra.led  .JZ  „ 


CIIASnXO   MOU.XTAIN   GOAT   IX  TJIK   KOTUSK   MOUNTAINS. 

like  an  ant  on  a,  white  wall,  the  goat  still  remaining'  in  his  old  position 
on  a  beetling  ridge  n.-ar  the  mountain  top.      TVfore  long  the  -  Stick  " 
was  seen  to  ascend  above  the  goat,  and  when  near  liis  position  a  n.is 
erable  little  dog  that  every  Tn.lian  seems  to  keep  around  Inm  to  in.s- 
trate  his  hunting,  in  trying  to  follow  his  master,  frightened  the  -oat 


HUNTIN(^    AND    FISHIXG     IN    ALASKA. 


171 


and  lie  stiiitcl  down  the  inomiiaiTi  side,  the  Indian  and  liis  dog  follow- 
inn- in  (•h).se  i)uisuit.  Tlio  nainc  t'dged  olf  fioiii  tiie  direction  of  onr 
cain[)  ii.s  lie  descended,  until  by  thf  time  he  wa.s  on  a  level  with  it,  he 
was  noiii'jy  a  lialf  a  ndlo  away,  when,  to  every  one's  astonishment,  he 
turned  and  made  Tor  as  at  a  g-ait  that  might  mak<;  one  think  lie  was 
th  ordiiiiiiy  sul)url)an  goat,  and  that  we  were  snudl  hoys  crossing  a 
plaidv  bridge  or  otlier  disadvantageous  place  in  his  favorite  locality. 

Then  ther<'  was  consternation  in  the  camp.  One  Indian  seiml  a 
Springlield  carbine  that  was  near  and  a  belt  of  pistol  cartridge's,  and 
started  off  for  a  place  to  intercept    the  goat.  Another  followed 

liim  with  a  double-barreled  shot-gun,  trying  to  jam  in  Creednioor  ritie 
cartridges  as  he  ran,  while  the  least  that  any  one  could  do  was  to  get 
on  top  of  the  ''stone-houses''  U)  see  the  exciting  chase,  and  yell  at  the 
hunters  with  all  his  might.  A  shot  from  some  one  turned  the  animal 
np  the  eastern  slope,  and  away  he  w<'nt,  climbing  for  dear  life,  Avith  no 
one  ahead  of  the  indefatigable  "  Stick"  in  the  chase— except  the  goat. 
Finally  he  disappeared  in  the  Alpine  nusts  hanging  over  the  summit 
glaciers  of  the  eastern  ridge,  fully  as  high  as  the  svestern,  nnd  the 
Indians  retnrned  to  camp,  this  little  incident  having  evidently  refreshed 
them  after  their  toiling  over  the  trail  with  a  hundred  pounds  apiece 
on  their  l)acks. 

The  next  day— the  llth— W(>  climbed  the  Snowy  pass,  4,100  feet 
above  sea-level.  Even  here  in  the  drifting  mists  numbers  of  small  birds 
were  encountered  to  enliven  the  otherwise  desolate  scene. 

I  noticed  that  day  that  my  Indians  in  following  a  trail  on  snow, 
whether  up  hill  or  on  a  level,  or  even  on  a  slight  descent,  always  fol- 
lowed in  each  other's  tra(^ks,  so  that  any  large  body  made  a  trail  that 
looked  as  if  oidy  live  or  six  had  passed  over  it ;  but  when  going  down 
a  steep  descent,  each  one  made  his  own  trail,  and  they  scattered  out 
over  many  yards.  That  day's  mountainous climbingand descending  of 
lifteen  miles,  over  a  third  of  the  distance  being  on  the  snow,  brought  us 
late  in  the  evening  to  a  beautiful  Alpine  lake,  some  ten  miles  hmir. 
where  our  "packers"  were  to  leave  us  to  build  a  raft  and  tloat  down 
the  river  we  i)roi)()sed  to  exi)lore.  Imagine  my  surprise  Avhen  numbers 
of  the  Indians  came  to  me  that  evening  and  asked  for  immediate  pay- 


172 


NIMROD    IX    THE    NORTH. 


nient,  on  tlie  ftTouiul  that  tliey  wished  U,  ivt„n,  iiuinediatelv  some  of 
tlieni  dahnino-  that  they  would  -  double  rainiKs"  before  tliev  stoj^jud 
ISearly  all  of  then,  had  brought  «iio«-,shoes,    vet  u„n.>   w,",v  used  in 
ascending  the  pass,  and  only  a  few  used  tlu-ni  when  they  gor  on  to  the 
comparatively  level  sno-..    l.eyond.     They  have  1uo  kinds,  of  diiferent 
wulth,  but  otherwise  the  same,  the  narrower  kind  being  used  for  hunt- 
ing and   wiu-re  swift  running   is  re- 
quired,   and   the   l)road  oiu's  are  em- 
ployed in  this  packing  tlii'ough  the 
mountain  passes,   or  anywhere  Mith 
heavy  loads.     The  cmly  gam."  we  had 
seen  in  (Tossing  the  mountains  Avas  a 

solitary  black  bea)-cnl)anxi(ms]y  look- 
ing loi-  something,  which.  IVom  the 
distant  way  in  wjiieh  it  tivated  us,  was 
evidently  not  onr  ])arty.  Its  mother 
Avonld  have  suited  us  better. 

^"<"iironrcani])  on   this  lake  came 
in  a  mountain  civekentiivlv  too  swiff  ^'""-•^■^''"  in'^'Tixo  A\n'p.\fKixG 

^ni.l  .Kuverfultc,  wade  with;afety  and  ,-1- ^4^:^^^^'^l........u.n.. 

over  wliich  a  -reen  wilh.w  tree  v,        '"'•"'"7"'"' "■""-i"-.-...„.., 

^ow  my   veight  is  tw<.  h:n       d     :;r '^''^  "  '^'"^' ='^ ''  '''-'-'^^ 
+  '  '"iMi  .iu(i  lilty-oue  ])onn(  s,  and  niv  liisf  ■.<■ 

"""1-  - 1--  "v«.  „„•.  ,„,,  „,•„,  „„„^.  ,,',:: 

vai'ious  phiees.  broM-ht  its  ruM  <...  1     *        ,  ""  •    .no.imi   niein 

- i. .is,,,.,,  .-„..,; ;; ,'.,,':  ,  t  ;.r: ;,: ;; ':""""■-■ '"-"  -- 

fi.rtl.,.,.  ,>..         T  <'>iira(t  Mith   the  swm  watei-.  and  the 

::;;!:H:!;:j:r ':::,;:::;:; v; - •' ■ 

.^.::it::,J:;;:::r:,:r:,x^;r:;::;:::;;::r^^ h,. 


HUNTING    AND    FISHING    IN    ALASKA.  173 

Two  of  the  Tahk-heesh  or  >'  Stick"  Indians,  who  luid  come  with  lis, 
had  stored  away  in  this  vicinity  a  couple  of  tlie  most  dilapidated  look- 
ing craft  that  ever  were  seen,  and  a  traAeler  called  irpon  to  stretch  his 
conscience  and  call  '-cano.'s/'     The  only  thing  that  ever  kept  them 
atloat  was  the  possible  reason  of  the  Irishman,    "that  for  every  hole 
where  the  water  might  come  in  there  were  half  ;    dozen  whe.3  it  could 
runout."     These  canoes  are  made  from  a  sort  of  poplar,  and  as  the 
treesarenot  very  large,  the  mnterial -runs  out,"   so  to  speak,   along 
the  waist,  where  a.  greater  amount  is  recpiired  to  reach  aro-md.     This 
deficiency  is  made  good  liy  substituting  strips  tacked  or  sewed  on  as 
gunwales,  the  crevices  being  amply  chinked  with  gum.     At  l)ow  and 
stern  a  rude  attem[)t  is  made  to  warp  them  into  cano<'  "  lines,"  and  this 
causes  a  number  of  cracks,  all  of  which  are  duly  smeared  with  gum. 
The  thin  bottom  is  a  perfect  gridiron  of  slits,  all  closed  with  gum.'^and 
the  proportion  of  the  gum  increases  with  the  canoe's  age.     Upon  look- 
ing at  them  as  a  means  of  navigation  my  previous  intentions  of  l)uil(ling 
a  raft  were  contii-med,  and  tiiey  were  accordingly  carried  out. 

On  the  14th  of  June  the  raft  was  completed,  and  on  the  next  day 
was  swung  into  tlie  current  of  the  str  am  and  floated  out  into  the  lake. 
As  the  rude  sail,  made  fi'om  a  wall  tent,  was  sprt^ad,  the  i)rimitive  ci'aft 
co:nmence(l  a  Joui'ncy  that  lueasure.j  over  1, :}()()  miles.  We  sailed  aci'oss 
the  first  lake  that  day  in  a  storm.  Ou  the  next,  Ave  shot  a  mile  of  rap- 
ids througli  the  connect iug  riv(M'.  A  couple  of  days  were  then  si)ent  in 
remodeling  our  vessel  ou  a  larger  scale— 10x43  feet,  with  two  decks  to 
carry  our  load.  One  of  the  d.'Iights  of  raft  making  was  standing  a 
greater  part  of  tiie  day  in  ice-\vat<"r  just  fi'om  the  glaciei's  on  the  moun- 
tain tops,  and  in  strange  conti'ast  witii  this  annoyance  were  the  mnscpd- 
toes  buz/iug  around  tln^  head  while  the  feet  were  freezing. 

Three  days  were  consumed  in  sailing  across  the  next  lake,  nearly 
thirty  mi'  's  in  h'ligth  ;  but  on  the  afternoon  of  the  LMst,  the  northern 
end  or  outlet  of  tlu^  lake  was  reached.  As  we  entered  a  river  lOd  to  'ioo 
yards  wide,  and  started  forward  at  a  speed  of  three  or  four  iniies  an 
hour.  l)ut  which  seemed  ten  tiiues  as  fast  as  lake  traveling,  since  we 
were  so  much  nearer  tlu>  shore,  where  we  couhl  see  our  relative  nu)ti(m 
much  plainer— our  spirits  ascejuhd,  and  the  whole  brilliant  pros^iect  of 


M 


^■1 

P^' 

i,. 

*. ) 

... 

1 

h 

lit 

i- 

h 

NIMROD    IN    THE    NORTH. 

gptlin-  wholly  rirl  of  the  lakes  was  joyously  dismssed  and  not  ended 
when  we  giounded  and  ran  np  on  a  mud  Hut  that  took  us  two  hours  of 
hard  work,  standing  waist  deej)  in  ioe  water,  to  get  oil". 

This  two-mile  stretch  of  rivei-  between  the  lakes  is  called  by  the 
natives  -the  place  where  the  caribou  cross/'  and  at  certain  seasons  of 
the  year  these  aniuials-the  woodland  reindeer-pass  over  in  large  num- 
bers in  migrating  to  their  different  feeding  grounds.     Unfortunately 
lor  us,  it  was  not  at  this  time  of  the  year,  although  a  dejected  Tahk- 
heesl,  camp,  not  far  away,  of  two  families,  had  an  arcluoological  ham  ut 
reindeer,  which  we  did  not  care  to  buy,  hanging  in  front  of  their  brush 
tent.     The  numerous  tracks  co.urmed  th."  Indian  stories,  however,  and 
as  I  looked  at  our  skeleton  score  and  muiu'hed  on  the  government  bacon 
I  wished  sincerely  that  June  was  one  of  their  months  of  miuration.  and 
the  21st  or  22d  about  the  time  of  their  greatest  number.     TIk^  very 
lew  Indhms  living  in  this  part  of  the  country— the  '•  Sticks  "—subsist 
a  great  deal  on  these  animals  as  well  as  on  mountain  goats,  and  even  an 
occasional  moose  wandering  into  their  distiict,  while  black  bear  foi'm 
no  immaterial  part  of  their  commissary.     One  would  expect  to  lind  such 
followers  of  the  chase  the  very  hardiest  of  all  Indians,  conformable  to 
the  genei-al  rule  in  all  countries,  that  i.la.vs  the  hu..t<>r  above  the  lish- 
erman,  Imt  this  does  iu)t  seem  to  be  true  along  this  great  river,  where  it 
.'>])pears  that  the  further  down  the  Yukon  the  Indian  resides-that  is, 
the  more  largely  he  subsists  (,n  llsh-the  hai'die,',  the  more  robust,  the 
more  exacting  and  impudent  he  becomes. 

The  country  was  now  more  o], en.  and  it  was  evident  that  we  were 
getting  out  of  the  mountains.  I>,vtty  wihl  ros.-s  in  blossom  were  found 
niong  the  banks  of  the  beach,  while  many  wild  <..iions  were  j-uHed.  with 

which  we  stuffed  the  tough  grous..  that  we  kilh.Kai.i.  experienced  a  gen- 
eral change  f„r  the  bwter.      Pliere  were  ever  a  nuni'.er  <»f  rheunuiti.- 

grasshojiiM.rs  that  feebly  jnmpe.l  along  in  tin.  r!d  Upinc  air.  as  if  t„ 
temptustogolishing:  and  in  fact,  -vry  thing  ^^>■  n.^ed..!.  Un-  that 
form  of  ivcreation  was  to  be  had,  exc.'pi  rhe  tjsh.  A  numb.-r  of  lines 
put  out  over  night  rewarded  us.  iiouev-r,  -.vith  .,  lar-e  salmon  tro.u 
This  was  the  first  fish  we  had  caught  on  tiie  trie,  although  our  piscato- 
rial efforts  had  been  unceasinu'. 


HUNTING    AND    FISHING    IN    ALASKA. 


IT.-) 


B:i(Hiiig  winds  dcliiycd  ns  i'oia  while,  und  gave  us  occasional  chances 
for  rauiblii-  ■•  around  tlie  country.     Every  wliere  we  found  the  grouse  of 
these  regions,  all  of  them  with  broods;  and  while  the  little  chiclis  went 
scurrying  thi'ougli  the  tall  grass  to  iind  a   hiding-idace,  the  old  ones 
Avallved  along  in  front  of  the  intrudei's,  often  but  a  few  feet,  seenungly 
devoid  of  fear,  pi-obably  never  having  heard  a  shot  fired.     The  tenii)ta- 
tion  to  kill  them  was  great  after  having  been  so  long  without  fivsh 
meat,  which  the  apix^ite  loudly  demands  In  the  I'ougli  out-of-door  life 
of  an  explorer.     A  me.ss  of  them  ruth- 
lessly destroved  by  oui-  Indians,  wlio 
had  no  fears  of  agime-law,  noi- sports- 
man's qualms    )f  conscience,  or  com- 
pa.ssion  of  any  sort,  low^ered  our  desire 
to  zero,  for  the  bii-ds  were  tougher  than 
whit-lea'her  and  as  tasteless  as  shav- 
ings, and  thereafter  we  were  willing  to 
allow  them  all  the  rights  guaranteed 
by  the  game-laws  of    more   ci\ilized 
lands. 

Quite  a  number  of  marmots  were 
seen  by  our  Indians,  and  their  holes 
and  liuinuiocks  dotted  the  hillsides. 
The  Indians  catch  them  I'oi-  fur  and 
foo.I  (iu  '-.ct  every  thing  living  is  used  carved  i'rxs I^fastkxino 
lor  rht'  lattei-  purpo.se)   by  m^ans  of  marmot  .s.nares. 

running  nooses  .slipped  over  their  holes  which  choke  the  little  anin.als 
=.s  they  try  to  make  an  exit  fron,  their  homes.  A  finelv-split  crow- 
iVU.l  ruui.ing  the  whole  length  of  the  rib  of  th.  feather,  is  us.d  for  the 
noo-e  proper,  an.l  (he  i.stant  this  is  sprung  it  closes  bv  its  own  tlexibil- 
ry.  The  rest  is  a  sii>Mv  spring  tied  to  a  bush  n.ar  the  hole.  <,r  if  there 
's  no  bush  at  ha.id.  a  stick  driven  into  the  ground  serves  the  purj.ose  of 
nn  am-lmr.  Sou.e  times  these  pins  are  fantasticallv  .■arved^-espeeiallv 
;>yt]ie(,1ulkats,  who  are  adej.ts  in  this  art-.m.l'then  thev  are  -enj- 
ndly  ma.le  of  bone,  some  superstitious  .dea  of  luck,  probablv.  bein-r 
associated   witii   then..      Nearly   uU   the    blankets   uf    this    Iribe    o] 


'J    cV,i^' 


17« 


NJMROD    IX    THE    NORTH. 


\   i- 


;  I  i 


Indians  are  made  from  the.se  skins,  and  tliey  are  verv  Ijoht  u.^  their 
warmtli. 

^    The  IVu-  Tahk-heesli  or  -  Sticks"  who  had  been  near  us  at  (!ariI,ou 
Crossing  suddenly  disappeared  the  night  after  Ave  caniped  <m  the  littk^ 
lake,  and  as  the  gummed  canoe  which  we  had  toued  along  the  raft  in 
case  of  emergencies  faded  from  view  at  the  same  time,  anc  were  roi.vd 
to  coiinect  the  two  events  together,  and  chr(micle  these  fellows  as  iu- 
cline,l  to  appropriation.     It  was  a  very  fortunate  circumstance  that  we 
were  not  m  need  of  one  afterward  until  we  could  purchase  a  substitute 
although  we  hardly  thought  such  a  thing  possible  at  the  time,  so  mucl'i 
had  we  used  the  one  that  ran  away  with  our  friends.     Tlie.se  canoes  are 
very  scarce,  there  being  probably  notcner  ten  or  twelve  the  whole  h-no-th 
of  the  river  to  old  Fort  Selki.'k.     Many  of  their  journeys  up  the  str<",m 
are  performed  by  the  nativ<.s  on  foot,  carrying  their  linnted  necessaries 
on  then-  backs.     l?eturning  they  us(>  a  small  raft,  of  two  t<,  six  or  eio-ht 
logs,  on  whi.'h  they  float  down  with  the  current  in  the  streams  and  lu.le 
and  sail  across  the  lakes.     We  .saw  the  logs  of  man  v  such  rafts,  some  of 
them  closely  ivsembling  th,>  telegraph  poLvs  of  civilizath.n,  and  this 
comparison  gives  one  a  good  i<lea  of  the  size  of  il„.  b.^st  timber  usually 
found  lu  this  country.     At  one  ].laceour  Indians  found  a  swamped 
canoe,  ami  one  of  them  bailed  it  out  in  a  manner  as  novel  as  it  was 
-tual.     Grasping  it  on  one  side  ami  near  th.-  center,  a  rocking  mo- 
*o   ,  tore  and  aft.  was  kept  up  ;  and  this  being  repeat  'd,  the  canoe  was 
.--    .dy  Idred  until  it  stood  at  the  maifs  waist,  with  not  em.uuh  water 
in  It  to  si.dv  an  oyster  can.  and  this  in  a  space  of  time  not  mu.-h  -.vnter 
than  it  lias  taken  to  n>late  it. 

This  was  in  fi'ont  of  the  r.nly  permanent   house  in  th.-  Tahk-heesh 
country.    It  wasdesertedat  the  time,  but  evidently  onlv  forawhiie,  as  the 
spoils  of  the  chase  and  thelisheries  were  still  lianginn-inside  the  rafters 
There  were  also  a  great  numb,.,-  of  dried  salmon  in   th..  liouse  -  ,me  of 
thestaph.s  tlien  beginning  to  aj.pear  on  this  part  of  the  riv.-r.  nearly 
two  thousand  miles  from  its  moutli.     Tins     .,h  .m.  when  dried  b..fore 
putrefaction  sets    in.  is  ,,uite  b.-arabh',    ranku.g  sonu'wher.   h.^^^r.n 
Limburger  cheese  an.l  walrus  hide.     (V)llecting  some  of  it  o.vasionally 
as  we  floated  by.  we  used  it  .as  ;   lunch,  in  h(,m,eopathic  quantities,  un- 
til suiue  of  lis  got  su  we  rrally  imagined  we  liked  it. 


CHAPTER   IX. 


HUNTING  AND  Fisiiixo  IN  FAU-oFF  ALASKA.— [Continued.] 

In  floating  down  the  river,  whenever  we  came  near  any  of  the  low 
points  we  were  at  once  visited  by  myriads  of   small,  black   gnats, 
whose  in-essing  questions  were  very  pointed,  and  which  formed  a  hand- 
some addition  to  the  musquitoes  that  did  not  diminish  in  number  as  we 
descended  the  river.     The  only  protection  from  them  was  in  being  well 
out  f]-om  land  with  a  good  wind  blowing.     When  forced  to  camp  on 
shore,  a  heavy  smoke  would  generally  drive  them  away.     The  greatest 
cf)mfort  in  pitcliing  the  tent— and  it  was  not  every  camping  place  that 
aiforded  us  this  privilege-was  the  thouglit  that  it  would  enable  us  to 
keep  out  the  mus(piitoes,  for  then  we  cuild  spread  our  bars  with  some 
show  of  success.     The  constantly  recurring  light  rains  made  us  often 
regret  that  we  had  hhouacJc,.:,  not  so  much  on  account  of  tiie  slight 
wetting  we  got  but  because  of  the  constant  fear  that  it  was  going  to^)e 
much  worse  tlian  it  ever  proved  to  be.      I  defy  any  one  to  sle^p  out, 
with  only  a  blanket  or  two  over  him,  and  not  feel.  wli(>n  a  great  cloud 
spriiddes  a  drop  or  two  in  his  face,  that  the  delug?  is  coming  next. 
I  have  trietl  it  for  ten  or  twelve  years,  and  have  not  got  over  the  feelin^r 

yet. 

On  one  I  ike  about  thirty  miles  long,  which  I  named  after  Professor 
Marsh,  of  Vain  ('„ll,.ge,  I  noticd  on  its  eastern  slopes  i)retty  open 
prairies,  covfnvd  with  the  di-ied  yellow  grass  of  the  previous  year,  the 
new  gn.A'th  having  evidently  not  yet  forced  its  way  through  tlie  dense 
mass,  and  more  than  one  was  stnu-k  by  their  resemblance— irregular  as 
they  seemed-with  the  stubble  fif'lds  of  oats  or  wheat  in  loweA-lime's. 
I  doubt  not  they  furnish  good  grazing  to  mountain  goats,  caribou  and 
moose,  and  would  be  suflicient  for  catth-,  could  the  latter  keep  on 
friendly  terms  with  the  musquitoes.     According  to  the  genei-al  teiins  of 


mi 


f-'r  i' 


178 


the  survival  of  the 


fittest 


IX    THE    NORril. 


and  file  growth  of  flie  most  used  mu8cle> 


At  W  M,„-sh,  a  te»-  miserable  •■  Stick  "  Indians  put  i„  an  a„i.e-,r 
anoe,  whileafewscram'v  Inlf  .f.„.,..,i  .1  ,         1  "' '" -i"  ■ij'l«.ii- 

.  ,,  ,„„ ,  »"•'=»  J .  lull-stai  V  eil  il<,gs  nearly  completed  the  oi.tlit. 

A  duty  «  „„„  „f  assorted  sizes  „£  ,.l,ildre„  «ni»i,ed  the  pict.uv  of  one  of 
t  e  nosdejecte.1  races  of  people  on  the  face  of  the  ear,,.     They  vi  i  ° 
t  e  hsh.lmes  a    the  tnonth  of  the  UK-ondng  Ynkon  at  the  hea    of      e 

fa^l'n       ™"'       "'°"°"  *"  '""  '""^•^-   ""''  -'"  '"«'■'""•  ■'«"  " 
This  manner  of  llshing  of  theirs  is  qnite  oon,mon  in  this  part  of  the 
country  and  at  the  tnonth  of  a  nutnber  of  streams,  oi^  wher    the    ,.  i 
stream  debouches  into  a  lake,  their  long  „i„o,v  poles,  driven  i,„< 
mud  far  enough  to  prevent  washing  away,  are  often  seen  sticking      , 
sw,ng„,g  backward  and  forward  in  the  current.     On  closer  e.an.ina,  on 

nbo,e  it^.     1  hese  poles  occasionally  did  us  good  .service  as  buo^  s    imli 
cat,„g  he  n,nd-t)ats  which  we  conld  thereby  avoid  ;  b„t  we  ne,™        • 
.nany  h.sl,  taken  ott  them.     The  greatest  number  are  usual  is  tu  vd 
bymeaaso   the  double  pronged  fish-spear,  which  is  con.na.a  a       , 
nea    y  all  the  n.nt.onso,  sub-Arcti,- An.erica,  and  even  fnriher  nor.l,  ad 
south,  and  wl„ch  I  have  represents  in  an  illustration  „n  page  ,«» 

Inever  notic^l  the  Tahk-heesh  or  "Sticks"  with  ,„anv  nets- 
a  though  hey  may  easily  have  had, he,,,,  .so  slight  we,,.  ,„v  i'uve.stiga- 
nonsonthtspomt.     An,o„g  n,y  „udi„g  ,m„e,.ial.  ,0  pav  lor  se.-v  ts 

«  hooks  we,.eeage,.,yso„gh,  for  by  all  of  the   „, ns   I  ,„e,   untii 

WI  ,  e  K,ver  was  passed.     Meyoml  ,l„„  poin,   ,|,e   V„K„„  ,„., ,  „„ 

m,,<hly  lor  any  kind  of  fishing  depending  o„  ,he  (ish's  evesigh,   '  T 

dil ,r  '"■"  ""■  '"  'T:  '"  "''•''""""■»•  «»■»■  ™»""0U  ones  of  si„;.w  evi. 
dently  answeniigall  (le'ir  p,i,.poses. 

Xo  goo,l  bows  or  airows  we,,,  .s ,  among  ,l„.n,  ,l„.ir  onlv  wea,,ons 

l>«.,g.he»te,.eo,ype.l  ih.dso,,  May  ,lin,.|ock  s,„oo,l,.bo„.  ,nnsket-,he 

only  k„,.l  ofgnn  th.owinga  ball  ,hat  thisgreal   .nali,,:;  ,„n,na„v  h.,s 

ever  ,.,.,ncd  s,nce  it  can.e  into  e.vis,,  .„..     They  also  .sell  a  ,■ ,'„;•,„;; 


HUNTING    AND    FISHING    IN    ALASKA.  170 

of  double-banvled  ixMY-nssion-cai.  shot-nn,  whicli  the  luitives  buy,  and, 
loading  them  with  ball.s,  iind  then,  superior  to  the  lirst  named  instru- 
ment of  <lestruction-the  bow.     Singuhir  as  it  may  appear,  these  na- 
tives-hke  tlie  Esldmo  I  found  around  tlie  northern  part  of  Hudson's 
Bay-prefer  the  flint-lock  to  theperousslon-cap,  probably  for  the  reason 
that  the  latter  depends  on  three  articles  of  trade-caps,  powder  and 
lead-while  tlie  former  depends  on  but  two  of  these,  and  so  lessens  the 
chances  of  being  short  of  ammunition  when  many  weeks'  journey  away 
from  their  supplies.     These  old  muskets  are  tolerably  good  at  forty  to 
fifty  yards,  and  are  even  reasonably  dangerous  at  t\vo  and  three  times 
that  distance,  and  in  all  their  huntings  they  manage  by  peculiar  tact, 
common  to  savage  sportsmen,  to  get  witliin  tliit  distance  of  moose,  black 
bear  and  cai'ibou,  and  thereby  secure  a  pretty  fair  subsistence  the  year 
round,  their  summer  diet  l)eing  salmon  and  a  few  berries  and  roots 
.Some  few  of  tliem  had  old  horse-pistols-flint-lock,  smooth-bore  and 
b-ass-mounted-and  T  could  never  imagine  the  use  to  which  they  could 
put  them-unless  it  wre  to  present  to  their  enemies  on  the  verge  of 
battle,  or  to  give  to  the  mother  of  their  intended  bride  as  one  o't'  the 
gifts  usually  presented  by  savages  under  such  circumstances. 

The  last  day  of  June,  at  about  eight  o'clock  in  the  evening,  we  heard 
roaring  ahead  as  we  swung  arouiul  a  high  clay  blulf,  and  were  conscious 
of  the  fact  that  we  were  shooting  forward  at  a  more  raj.id  rate  than 
usual.     The  raft  was  accordingly  swung  on  shore,  and  a  prospectino- 
party  sent  out  which  discovered  that  tlunv  were  raj.ids  extending  out 
into  the  river,  but  of  no  coiisecpience  to  us.     In  fact,  tliev  were  directly 
in  front  of  our  position  on  the  shore,  and  so  swift  was  the  current  that 
we  could  not  get  out  into  the  stream  fast  enougli  to  avoid  sticking  on 
the  rougli  bar  of  gravel  and  boulders.     Soon  after  the  crew  had  jumped 
ni  au.l  were  preparing  to  pry  the  raft  arouml  into  the  stream, 'violent 
splashing  was  heard  on  the  out(n-  -:.-le  of  the  craft,  and  it  was  found  that 
u  goodly-sized  grayling  had  hook.'.l  himself  intr,  a  line  that  some  one 
had  allowed  to  t.  ,il  over  the  |„g.s  in  the  hurry  and  excitement  of  attend- 
ing to  more  important  duties  connecte.i  with  the  supposed  rapids,     lie 
was  taken  from  tli.'  hook  and  when  another  one  immediately  repeated 
the  operation,    it   soon    became  evident  that   we   were   getting    into 


■1 

!  - 

HUNTING    AND    FISHING    IN   ALASKA. 


181 


tlie  very  l)est  of  fisliiiio-  Avaters,  and  the  first  of  that  character  on  the 
river.  After  tlie  nit't  swuii;r?  clear  of  tlie  outer  boulders  of  the  reef, 
several  lines  and  flies  \vei>-  i)ut  out,  and  it  was  quite  amusing'  to  see  the 
long-  '> casts,"  or  i-ather  attempts  at  them,  as  we  rushed  by  distant  rij)- 
l)les  near  the  bends  of  the  bank,  more  than  one  of  which  were  8uecessl'ul 
in  landing  a  fine  giayjiug. 

That  evening  we  camped  late  (about  10  v.  m.)  n:>ar  where  a  couple  of 
ripi)les  were  formed  by  gravel  bars  running  ont  into  the  stream,  and 
some  lifty  or  sixty  graylings  rewaided  the  three  lines  that  were  kei)t 
going  until  about  11,  or  till  it  was  too  dark  to  fish  with  any  comfort. 
The  grayling  caught  that  evening  seemed  to  be  of  two  distinct  sizes, 
the  larger  averaging  about  a  i)ound  in  weight,  the  smaller  about  one- 
fourth  as  much.  On  the  morning  of  .July  1,  we  approached  the  grand 
canon  of  the  Yukon  River,  and  the  next  day  its  rapids,  nearly  five 
miles  in  length,  were  ''shot"  by  the  raft.  So  many  of  the  logs  were 
torn  off  and  the  craft  so  shaken  up  generally,  that  the  next  few  days 
were  occupied  in  repairing  it  even  moi-e  solidly  than  before. 

If  the  rnusquitoes  had  been  almost  unbearable  before,  they  now  be- 
came; entirely  so.  Nothing  could  (>e  done  unless  the  wind  was  blowing 
or  the  smoke  from  a  resinous  pine  lire  was  so  thick  that  the  eyes  were 
in  an  acute  state  of  intiammntion. 

A  fair  wind  made  me  think  it  possible  to  go  hunting  inland  ;  but  it 
died  (h)wn  after  getting  away  two  or  three  miles,  and  my  light  back  to 
camp  with  the  inusquitoes  I  Avill  always  remember  as  one  of  the  sa- 
lient points  of  luy  life.  It  seemed  as  if  there  were  an  upward  rain  of 
insects  from  the  grass,  which  l)ecame  a  deluge  over  the  nuirshy  tracts — 
and  over  half  the  land  was  marshy.  Of  course,  not  a  sign  of  game  was 
s«M'n  exce}»t  a  few  old  tracks.  Indeed,  the  tracks  of  an  animal  are 
about  the  only  ])art  of  it  that  could  exist  hei'e  in  the  luusquito  season — 
that  is  to  say,  from  the  time  the  snow  is  half  oil'  the  ground  until  the 
first  severe  frost,  some  three  or  foui- months  later.  During  that  time, 
all  the  living  civatures  that  can  leave  ascend  the  mountains,  closely 
following  tlie  snow  line,  and  even  there  they  do  not  get  complete  cjuiet. 
the  exi)osnre  to  the  constant  winds  being  of  far  nior<>  benefit  than  the 
coolness  due  to  the  altitude  while  the  musqnitoes  are  left  undisputed 
masters  of  the  vallevs. 


1 

f    ttl 


I 


if 


I 


182 


XIMliOD    IN    THE    NORTH. 


Had  there  been  anv 


mune 


witliiu  good  lange  and  I  had  got  a  fi 


ur 


shot,  i  lionestly  doubt  if  I  could  have  secured  it,  for  tliese  pests-riot 
altogether  because  of  their  ravenous  attacks  on  my  face  (and  especially 
theeyPM^,  but  for  the  reason  that  they  were  absolutely  so  thi.-k  and 
dense  ^aat  no  one  could  have  seen  clearly  through  the  mass  in  taking 
aim.     When  I  got  back  to  cami.  I  wus  thoroughly  exhausted  ^^itll  my 
incessant  fight.     I  was  c<)mi)letely  out  of  breath  and  had  to  recover  it 
in  a  stifling  smoke  from  dry,  resinous  piii.^  knots.     It  is  not  uidikely 
that  a  person,  especially  of  a  nervous  temperament,  without  a  mask 
or  taking  refuge  out  on  the  broa.l   river,  or  iu  a  closed  house,  woidd 
soon  be  killed  by  nervous  prostration.     1  know  that  the  native  dogs 
are  killed  by  them  under  certain  circumstances,  and  I  heard  reports 
from  persons  so  reliable  that,  coupled  with  my  own  experiencp,  I  have 
neverfor  an  instant  doubted  them,  that  the  great  brown  -gi-izzly"  bear 
of  these  regions  at  times  is  compelled  to  succumb  to  them.     The  state- 
ment seems  almost  preposterous,  but  the  explanation  is  comparatively 
simple.      Bruin,    having  exhausted  all  the   roots  and  berries  on  one 
mountain,  or  finding  them  scarce,  thinks  lie  will  cross  a  valley  to  another 
range.     Covered  with  heavy  fur  on  his  body,  his  eves,  nose  and  ear;* 
are  the  vulnerable  points  for  the  musquitoes,  and  here  of  course  they 
congregate  in  dense  swarms.     Reaching  a  swampy  stretch,  tliev  rise  in 
myriads,  nntil  his  fore-paws  are  kept  busy  striviny-  to  keep  his  eyes- 
clear,  and  not  succeeding,  he  becomes  enraged,  and,  bear  like,  rises'on 
his  haunches  to  fight.     It  is  now  only  a  mere  matter  of  time  until  his 
eyes  are  so  swollen  by  the  attacks  that  lie  is  perfectly  blind,  and  wan- 
ders aimlessly  about  until  he  becomes  mired  in  the  marsh  and  starves 
to  death. 

While  waiting  at  the  Grand  Canon  to  repair  the  raft,  our  fishin- 
tackle  was  kept  quite  busy,  to  su<-li  an  extent  that  we  landed  between 
four  and  five  hnndre,!  nice  graylings.  A  fine  fishiiig  ground  we  never 
afterward  found  on  the  Ynkon.  Nowhere  in  the  live  miles  of  boilin- 
rapids  and  cascades  was  the  fishing  i,t  all  <-on.parable  to  the  ripples  and 
gentler  whirlpools  above  and  below  this  stretch.  Pleasant,  half-cloudy 
evenings  were  especially  good  for  s]»o,.t,  but  sometimes  ihe  graNlino- 
would  cease  biting  at  all  points  with  a  unanimity  that  suggested  i'ntel" 


ill 


!  ,  \i 


HUNTING    AND    FISHING    IN   ALASKA. 


183 


ligonec— and  sonu'tinies  they  would  resume  in  the  same  curious  way. 
A  bright  sun  would  not  rut  them  oif  altogether,  but  when  it  was  square 
in  their  faces  it  was  wonderful  how  nuiny  times  they  would  "rise" 
before  taking  the  hook.  This  may  be  common,  as  the  reason  seems  evi- 
dent, but  1  never  noticed  it  so  distinctly  before.  I  do  not  think  1 
exaggerate  when  I  say  that  one  little  fellow  nuule  fully  two  scort*  of 
unsuccessful  attempts,  retreating  behind  a  boulder  each  time,  the  rii)i)le 


FISHING   Foil  OKAYLING  AT  THE  LOWER  CASCADES. 


of  which  was  "•'■  favorite  point  for  "  rising."  Having  all  the  fish  that 
we  coidd  eat,  not  only  for  ourselves  and  our  Indians,  but  also  the 
Indians  who  congivgated  roundabout  us.  wt'lumiored  these  fanciful  fel- 
lows, even  changing  our  Hies  to  suit  their  whims  if  they  got  too  tired  of 
one.  AVhite  Hies  late  in  the  evening,  red  oiu's  under  the  shadows  of  the 
dark  green  spruce  overhanging  the  streams,  brown  and  bi-ownish-black 
ones  when  there  were  white,  ileecy  clouds  in  the  sky,  and,  in  general, 
colors  complementary  to  the  predonunating  background  were  the  best. 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


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Photographic 

Sciences 
Corporation 


23  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  NY.  14580 

(716)  872-4503 


i/j 


I 


184 


NIMROD    m   THE   NOHTH. 


!'■ 


!M 


Thonsanas  of  small  brown  moths  or  millers  flll„l  the  air  whenever  a 
gentle  wmcl  blew  from  the  north,  and  a,  they  constantly  fell  into  the 

™   huge  scores  show  how  very  plentiful  the  latter  must  have  been 
Had  we  known  all  that  was  aheud  of  „s,  we  wonl.l  have  left  the  fine 
hsh.ngof  theOt^d  Canon  with  no  little  regret,  bnt  in  exploit" 
wholly  unknown  country  one  always  half  believes  that,  however  „ood 
the  pr^ent  conditions  may  be,  the  prospects  are  even  better. 

On  the  5th  of  Jnly  vvegot  away  early  in  the  morning,  and  by  noon 
haci  passed  the  month  of  the  Tahk-heena,  or  Tahk  river,  tmingin  ftZ 
the  west.  Thtsstream  is  almost  as  large  as  the  Yukon,  and,  to  onr  Z 
c  mfort,  was  of  muddy  water,  for  we  anticipated  thJt  it  ^..Id  atfect 
onr  grand  grayhng  bonis,  which  it  did,  and  we  never  afterward  ft 
sure  of  even  a  mess, 

I ,  J"  ^r  It*  ^""'*  '"■''  °'  '""  '^'"""'  ™*^  todwatersof  the  Yukon- 
Lake  KIuktass,-we  caught  a  fine  large  salmon  trout  weighing  over 
eght  pounds  (the  limit  „,  the  Doctor's  fish  scales),  also  one  or  tw" 
others  not  SO  heavy.  -^  ui  lho 

On  the  0th  we  Hoated  out  of  this  lake,  and  no  besieger  ever  saw  the 
flag  of  a  fortrcs.  fall  with  more  heartfelt  satisfaction  than  we  saw  low 
e.«l  for  the  last  t.me  the  old  -..-all-tent  that  had  served  ns  so  Ion.  ra 
sad  by  day  and  a  shelter  by  night. 

pme  forests,  and  they  vvere  of  different  dates,  for  side  by  side  were 
the  standmg  trees  whose  bodies  had  been  Ida.-kened  but  a  f  « 
before,  and  the  old  lu-own  and  tawny  stumps,  fast  sinking  to  deca  v  w  U 
ust  enough  charcoal  about  them  to  show  the  method  of  their  f:  "m 
hatxlly  dtsfngu  shable  from  so  many  great  brown  bears  or  buif  1,:;  " 

i^tiir '"  "'"-■  -  *"^ '--»«"''  --  ~  to  pC 

"How  mnch  that  looks  like  a  big  grizzly,-  exclaimed  one  of  the 
members  of  the  party  on  the  bow  of  the  raft,  as  he  pointed  at  a  di't  t 
stump  on  a  1  igh  clay  bank  almost  directly  in  front  It  ns 

The  old  roots  look   e.xa,-tly  like  legs,  d.m'ttheyr'  chimed  in  ; 
second  person,  as  he  can.ght  the  figure  designate.1  by  the  first. 


HUNTING  AND  FISHING  IN  ALASKA. 


185 


"And  the  broken  limb  on  the  left  any  one  would  swear  was  a  head, 
if  he  hadn't  been  floating  through  stumps  Just  like  it  all  day  long," 
added  a  third. 

"  That  small  limb  for  a  tail  gives  it  dead  away,  though,  for  grizzlies 
never  have  any — " 

"It  is  a  grizzly  !"  broke  in  a  chorus  of  voices,  as  the  "stump  " 
with  its  "old  roots"  and  "limbs,"  broken  and  small,  took  on  motion 


"grizzly"    bear  bluff  ox  THE   UPPER  YUKOX. 


and  Avnddled  down  the  slope  of  the  bank,  and  there  was  a  scrambling 
around  under  the  piles  of  bedding  and  kitchen  utensils  for  rifles  and 
guns,  a('c<mipanied  with  a  sound  or  ripping  gun-cover  linings,  and 
other  "ripping"  sounds  that  suddenly  attracted  Bruin's  attention,  and 
with  a  snort  the  stump  wheeled  around,  tlie  broken  limb  stood  straight 


''  if 

■  in 

1 

1 
( 

1 
1 

'    ? 

1  »! 

'  1 

186 


ll 

IP 


I  I 


Kl 


'I 


I 


NIMROD    m    THE   NORTH. 


the 


out  nn.l  the  ,,1,1  root.,  ,ve„t  a-wagging  until  they  all  disappeared 
thick  evergreens  before  any  of  n.  conld  get  a  shot 

,.„,   ; ;*  *'^".''  ''•■'"''  "  S''"-**  "^  ■•<■  si'""-  of  getting  him  even  if  we  )nd 

guncou.  fo.  thefore-stght  that  he  had  torn  off  with  a  piece  of  the 

"  The  1-obe  and  meat  are  worthless  at  this  time  of  jear    esr^eciallv 
those  strong  old  'ni/zlies  lilca  +1,.,+  ^^  n       „  "^       '  ^^P^^^^^^y 

another  fox  who  h  d  f  Ued  to  ;     «         "'     -'P''^"'"<"™"y  "J-'-'lated 
innl,  l,„      ,  «  '  *'^"'  *5™P<"''  ="*  '''e  tried  to  ram  a  fortv- 

Bump ! !  ' 

From  the  way  that  l,e.r  departed,  I  imagine  that  he  spent  tl>e  rest 

behind  us,  swimmin.i.  the  river  at  a  frantic  .-ni    hnf  .n  f  ? 

^..::rsp::r:::;:':^;;fr:-::rs;:r  :■--■•- 

.ng  steam,.oat.  Mr.  «ri.,y  strode  ott  as  if  hel,  L^^Z 
t.ng  a  straight  rigl,t-of-way  through  the  thicket,  ,.„d  ro  ndiL  .  " 
ner  suddenly,  some  Wrds  that  were  in  a  h„sh  w  re  in  ^I      h.;  rd  V 

:::::■  '.ir::;;"'  '"'n  "•"  "-* '-' '"■"•■'-"•  - '^^- '-  •: 

...  and  was  dr.,wned.    ,J„st  why  o„r  lnno<.ent  looking  craft  should 
...s,,,re  snch  mortal  terror  I  have  never  been  able  to  imagdne 

'""  ""'"""*  " "  "^  -^"^  ™<1  that  the  n,oo.,e  and  caribou  clcsely 


li 


an 


V. 


> 


188 


NIMROD    IN    THE    NORTH. 


»*r*r 


fol  ow  the  snow  line  as  it  retreats  up  the  mountain  sides,  in  the  sprint 
and  summer,  and  only  leave  tl>eir  elevated  retreats,  exc  ,  t  in  isoK  ef 
cases,  as  the  snow  drives  them  down  into  the  vail  ys,  where  " 
recommences  m  the  early  (all.  One  bit  of  informati  n  s,  ^r  s  d  ! 
nota  .tie    the  fact  that  the  sub-Arctic  moose  never  make  "nlr 

and  othe,  books  relatmg  to  the  habits  of  that  animal  in  the  south  e  t° 
ern  Canadian  provinces.  This  is  the  more  singular  as  th  C  t^^ t 
buried  under  deep  snows,  and  swept  by  chilly  winds-is  in«t  ,1,„  , 

On  the  12th  we  shot  the  last  rapidson  the  river  (the  Hink  '?.„•  l  ,  , 
a  l,ttle  way  beyond  tried  to  get  a  shot  at  a  n,oI'  b,  t  f  ■  „f  'v  «" 
.aw  lum  cracking  through  the  high  willow  brush  m,;  „.  „V'  1Z 
of  the  party  taking  him  for  an  Indian  runni,-,  tow^n  , 
arras  wildly  to  attract  attention.  We  ca  «ht  occ  In  1  "T'""  " 
hi,  broad  horns  and  brown  sides  ind  as  he  1  °™";'™"'  «""'l'*-  "f 
formed  by  the  mouth  of  a  creel    h:  1,^1  on    i':;  idf     "':  """""' 

in  the  presence  of  game  on  this  tiij,.  ''  ^''''^ 

Selkirk,  where  the  Pelly  oouies  in,  was  reached  the  next  rl-,. 

here  we  were  detained  for  two  or  tliree  dn vs  nn  ^' '  '''''' 

+^.         •      ,.  *^  "^y^  on  business  connecter!  wi+1. 

the  mam  object  of  our  expedition.     Here  too  ourh's],;,.  '^      ! 

iTt  I  e,  too,  oui  hsliing-  almost  ceased. 


HUNTING    AND    FISHING    IN   ALASKA. 


18» 


The  camera  being  out  we  took  a  photograph  of  the  only  two  \  arieties. 
of  edible  fish  we  had  caught  with  the  hook  and  line  on  the  river— ^vray- 
ling  and  a  sort  of  yellow-spotted  salmon  trout.  Coarse  and  ugly-look- 
ing eel-pouts  were  cauglit  near  Selkirk,  but  even  the  Indians  looked  on 
them  with  disgust.  Shoals  of  small  graylings,  from  an  inch  to  an  inch 
and  a  half  in  length,  were  seen  on  the  bright  pebbly  beaches  of  the 
lakes,  and  eddies  of  the  river.  They  could  be  readily  caught  with  a 
musquito  bar  as  a  net,  and  formed  a  tempting  bait  for  the  salmon  trout. 
Ducks  and  geese  were  seen  everywhere  along  the  stream,  but  as  the 
hens  w^ere  breeding  no  efforts  were  made  to  secure  them  until  later  in 
the  season,  when  we  were  on  the  lower  river.  As  we  drifted  placidly 
with  the  auiet  current,  there  was  hardly  an  hour  in  the  day  that  we  did 
not  see  ahead  of  us  some  maternal  duck  with  her  little  ducklings 
stretched  out  behind  her,  like  canal  boats  in  tow  of  a  huge  steamer. 
They  would  try  to  escape  by  fast  swimming,  and  oftentimes  some  tired 


AYAN    MOOSE-ARROW. 

chick  would  take  a  short  rest  on  its  mother's  back.  We  were  drifting 
in  ...e  swift  current  of  the  central  stream  while  they  hugged  the  slow- 
waters  of  the  banks,  and  it  would  be  but  a  short  while  before  they  were 
tired  out  and  would  scramble  off  into  the  thick  willows  and  hide. 

Twelve  miles  below  Selkirk  is  the  Ayan  Indian  village  of  Kah-tung, 
the  largest  tribal  town  we  saw  on  the  river.  These  Ayans  live  chiefly 
on  salmon  in  tlie  summer  and  on  various  kinds  of  game  in  the  winter. 
They  are  very  poorly  supplied  with  arms  and  ammunition,  being  at  the 
greatest  extremes  from  either  the  trade  that  enters  at  the  head  or  the 
mouth  of  the  river,  a  sort  of  neutral  ground  between  the  two.  They  re- 
lied, therefore,  more  on  bows  and  arrows  and  other  savage  weapons  of 
the  chase,  than  any  other  tribes  we  encountered,  although  even  these 
were  not  of  a  striking  quality.  Their  moose  arrows  were  peculiar. 
Besides  the  double-barl)  forward,  common  to  all  arrows,  there  was  a 
series  of  barbs  continued  back  on  one  side  of  the  shaft  for  about  three 


uii 


y 


-Mm\' 


■ma  ^  - 

m 


190 


NIMROD    IN    THE    NORTH. 


inches.  The  moose  is  too  heavy  an  animal  to  be  killed  by  so  weak  a 
misaile  as  a  northern  Indian's  arrow,  unless  it  be  an  exceedingly  well 
directed  one ;  but  by  this  ingenious  but  cruel  design,  an  arrow  onc«,  im- 
bed('eu  in  a  moving  muscle,  as  a  wounded  moose  is  trying  to  escape  is 
slowly  carried  forward  until  a  vital  point  is  reached,  for  when  once 
struck  with  one  of  these  arrows  the  Ayans  will  stay  on  the  trail  of  a 


INDIANS   OF  THE  MIDDLE   YUKON   KIVEU  KILLING   MOOSE. 


wounded  moose  like  a  sleuth-hound  until  it  succumbs  even  to  this  slow 
process.     Time  is  the  least  valuable  article  with  which  an  Indian  deals. 

One  of  my  interpreters  told  me  that  these  Indians,  when  huntin- 
moose  in  the  summer,  run  them  into  the  broad  rivers  with  dogs,  and 
then  pursue  them  in  their  light  birch-bark  canoes,  killing  them  with 
knives,  arrows  or  spears,  and  thus  saving  their  valuable  small  lots  of 
powder.     They  do  not  liesitate  to  jump  on  the  back  of  a  swimming 


HUNTING    AND    FISHING    IN   ALASKA. 


191 


moose  and  stab  it  to  the  vitals  with  a  knif^^,  or  cut  its  throat,  leav- 
ing the  canoe  to  look  after  itself,  in  the  hope  that  it  will  be  re- 
stored to  him  by  a  near  companion  after  he  has  killed  his  prey.  In 
fact,  too  near  an  approach  in  the  fragile  birch-bark  canoe  is  apt  to  com- 
jiromisfc  its  safety  if  the  animal  should  begin  to  toss  his  head  around 
lil^e  an  orchestra  leader's  baton,  as  he  often  does,  and  a  canoe  ranks 
much  higher  in  the  native's  estimation  than  a  moose's  carcass.  The 
moose-skins  are  used  as  coverings  for  their  rude  tents  in  winter  as  well 
as  in  summer ;  for,  despite  the  fact  that  they  live  in  a  country  densely 
timbered  with  fine  trees  for  log  cabins,  oven  the  few  they  build  are  of 
the  most  squalid  and  worthless  character,  which  they  leave  in  winter 
for  the  better  protection  of  the  tent.  These  winter  tents  are  double  ; 
that  is,  after  one  conical  tent  has  been  pitched  and  wrapjied  in  skins, 
another  set  of  poles  is  added,  and  again  covered  with  skins.  There  is  an 
air-spa(^e  of  a  foot  or  two  at  the  bottom  between  the  two  tents,  and  there 
is  a  (;ommon  apex  for  the 
two  sets  of  poles.  Over  the 
outer  tent  is  ''banked" 
a  thick  covering  of  snow, 
which  varies  with  the 
coldness  of  the  weather, 
and  taking  it  altogether, 
one  can  readily  see  that 
such  a  tent  woiild  be 
more    comfortable   than   cross-section  thuough  ayan  winter  tent. 

an     ill-built     log-cabin —  I.,  interior ;  p.  p.  p.  p.,  Poles  ;  AS.,  Air  Si.ace  ;  S.,  Snow. 

and  the  Ayan's  constructive  ability  is  of  a  very  low  order  indeed. 

July  16  saw  us  away  from  Ayanville,  and  drifting  through  a  high, 
mountainous  and  picturesque  country.  On  a  northern  hill,  well  up  to 
its  summit,  we  saw  a  big  black  bear  in  an  opening,  and  a  little  further 
on  three  mountain  goats  sunning  themselves  on  a  beetling  ridge. 

When  we  were  nearly  ready  to  start  on  the  morning  of  the  17th,  we 
found  four  Ayan  Indians  from  the  village  above,  waiting — each  in  one 
of  their  j^retty  canoes — at  our  camp.  They  had  with  them  the  carcass 
of  a  black  bear,  which  they  offered  us  for  sale,  and  on  our  buying  one 


t    if 

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II 


192 


NIMROD    IN    THE    NORTH. 


ham,  which  was  all  that  we  could  use,  they  oifered  us  the  rest  as  a 
present.  We  accepted  the  other  hind  quarter  and  they  left  the  rest  of 
the  animal  on  the  gravel  beach.  It  happened  that  all  four  of  the 
Indians  were  medicine-men,  and  as  such  never  ate  bear  meat. 

The  next  evening  we  camped  at  a  most  picturesque  spot  on  the 
eastern  bank,  where  a  large,  swift  river  came  tumbling  into  the  main 
stream.  It  was  so  (ilear  that  we  felt  confident  of  a  mees  of  iish,  but  our 
confidence  was  misplaced.  The  tributary  stre.an  is  called  the  Beer 
River,  from  the  large  numbers  of  woodland  reindeer  that  infest  its. 

d 


MOOSE-SKIN"  MOUNTAIN  AND  MOUTH  OF  DEER  RIVER, 

valley  at  certain  periods  of  their  migrations,  but  unfortunately  the 
middle  of  July  was  not  one  of  these  periods.  To  the  northward  loomed 
up  a  bright  green  mountain,  from  whose  side  a  slide  had  torn  a  great 
mass  of  the  turf,  thus  exposing  the  red  clay  in  striking  contrast  to  the 
green.  The  red  space  thus  exposed  resemble'1  a  huge  moose-skin 
stretched  on  the  ground  to  dry,  and  the  Indians  had  accordingly  named 
this  the  Moose-skin  Mountain, 

The  next  day  we  had  quite  a  hunting  excitement.     We  saw  three  or 


/♦ 


1)  i 


HUNTING    AND    FISHING    IN   ALASKA. 


193 


four  bears,  both  black  and  brown,  in  an  open  or  untimbered  space  on 
the  steep  l.illside  of  tlie  western  sliore.  We  abandoned  all  otlier  plans 
and  Ivept  up  a  regular  skirnush  tire  on  the  bears  as  long  as  our  raft  was 
in  range,  but  the  only  loss  on  tlieirside  was  loss  of  breath  in  climbing 
the  steep  mountain  to  a  i)lace  of  safety.  That  day's  experience  shat- 
tered my  faith  in  the  tticory  that  the  black  and  brown  bears  will  not 
inhabit  the  same  locality  at  the  same  time. 

On  the  next  day  we  came  to  the  first  Indian  village  on  the  Yukon 
that  deserved  the  name  of  permanent,  and  even  here  the  logs  of  the  six 
cabins  were  so  small  as  to  be  merely  poles.  The  huts  were  certainly 
well  ventilated.  The  village  had  about  120  souls,  and  was  perched  on 
a  high,  flat  bank  overlooking  the  river.  It  was  at  this  village  that,  to 
me,  the  most  wonderful  and  striking  performance  ever  given  by  any 
natives  we  encountered  on  the  whole  trip  was  displayed,  and  in  this  I  re- 
fer to  their  method  of  fishing  for  salmon.  The  Yukon  is  as  muddy  as  any 
river  in  the  world,  from  its  mouth  to  the  mouth  of  the  White  River, 
well  above  this  village,  and  this  spot  of  course  is  no  exception.  I  be- 
lie/e  that  I  do  not  exaggerate  in  the  least  when  I  say  that  if  an  ordinary 
pint  tin  cup  was  filled  with  it,  nothing  coidd  be  seen  at  tht  '  >ttom  of 
it  until  the  sediment  settled.  The  water  is  from  eight  to  t.velve  feet 
deep  on  the  fishing  banks  in  front  of  their  houses,  where  they  fish  with 
their  nets,  or  at  least  that  is  the  length  of  the  poles  to  which  the 
nets  are  attached.  These  nets  are  large  dip  nets,  and  the  salmon  that 
I  saw  them  secure  with  them  were  caught  about  two  hundred  and  fifty 
to  three  hundred  yards  from  the  shore. 

Standing  in  front  of  the  row  of  cabins,  some  one — generally  an 
old  sqr.aw  or  a  child,  possibly  on  duty  for  that  purpose— would  an- 
nounce that  a  salmon  was  coming  up  the  river,  probably  a  quarter  of  a 
mile  away,  when  some  man,  ascertaining  the  fish's  position,  would  run 
down  to  the  beach,  pick  up  his  canoe,  paddle  and  net,  and  start  out  into 
the  river  rapidly,  the  net  lying  on  the  deck  in  front  of  him,  his  move- 
ments being  guided  by  his  own  sight  and  that  of  half  a  dozen  others  on 
the  beach  and  bank,  all  shouting  to  him  at  the  same  time.  Evidently 
in  the  canoe  he  could  not  see  well  at  a  distance,  for  he  seemed  to 
rely  on  the  advice  of  those  on  shore  until  the  fish  was  near  him.    Then 


■    IS 


111 


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HUNTING    AND    FISHING    IN   ALASKA. 


19B 


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A\'itli  on.?  or  two  dextoi-ous  and  powerful  strokes  with  both  hands,  he 
would  shoot  the  (ianoe  to  the  desired  position,  regulating  its  liner  move- 
ments by  the  paddle  in  his  left  hand,  while  with  his  right  he  would 
plunge  the  net  the  whole  length  of  its  pole  to  the  bottom  of  the  river, 
from  eight  to  tvv  Ive  feet,  often  leaning  well  over  and  tiJ^ustinj^^  his  arm 
deep  into  the  water,  so  as  to  adjust  the  mor.th  of  the  net  ('covering 
about  two  squa'-^  feet)  directly  over  the  course  of  the  salmon. 

In  seven  attempts  that  I  witnessed  at  intervals  covering  three  liours, 
two  were  suc(^essful,  salmon  being  caught  that  would  weigii  probably 
twenty  pounds.  When  the  fish  is  netted,  a  turn  is  given  to  tlie  handle, 
thus  effectually  trapping  it  below  the  mouth  of  the  net,  and,  when 
brought  up  alongside,  a  fish-dub,  somewhat  like  a  potato-masher,  is 
used  to  kill  it  immediately,  for  the  struggles  of  so  large  a  fish  might 
easily  upset  a  small,  cranky  canoe.  How  these  Indians,  at  vhis  great 
distance,  can  see  the  motion  of  isolated  running  salmon  on  the  bottom 
of  an  eight  or  ten  feet  deep  river,  and  determine  their  position  near 
enough  to  catch  them  in  the  narrow  mouth  of  ix  small  net,  when,  under 
the  eye,  an  object  at  the  bottom  of  a  vessel  holding  that  many  inches  of 
water  from  the  river  is  wholly  invisible,  is  a  ma.'  -lous  i)r(jblem  that  I 
will  not  ai  tempt  to  solve.  The  solution,  of  course,  depends  in  some  way 
on  the  motion  of  the  hsh. 

In  vain  they  attempted  to  point  out  to  members  of  my  party  the 
coming  salmon.  I  feel  perfectly  satisfied  that  none  of  the  white  men 
saw  the  least  traces  that  the  aatives  tried  to  show  them.  In  their 
liouses  and  on  their  scaflFoldings  were  several  hundred  salmon  that  had 
been  caught  in  this  singular  way.  The  only  respectable  theory  that  I 
could  evolve,  was  that  the  salmon  came  along  near  the  top  of  the  water, 
so  as  to  show,  or  nearly  show,  the  dorsal  tin,  and  that  wiien  they  neared 
the  canoe,  the  sight  of  it,  or  more  likely  some  slight  noise,  probably 
made  on  purpose,  sent  them  to  the  bottom  without  any  considerable 
lateral  deviation,  and  that  they  were  thus  directed  into  the  mouth  of 
the  net.  ]\Iy  interpi-eter,  however,  told  me  tliat  this  superficial 
swimming  did  not  take  place,  but  that  the  motion  of  the  fish  was  com- 
municated to  tbR  top  from  the  bottom. 

This  Indian  village  was  called  Klat-ol-Klin,  but  it  is  better  known 


196 


NIMROD    IN    THE    NORTH. 


as  Johnny's  Village,  all  of  these  Indians  being  anxious  to  appropriate 
American  names. 

In  the  forenoon  of  July  24  we  saw  a  large  buck  moose  swim  from 
an  island  to  the  mainland  just  back  of  us,  it  having  evidently  scented 
U'^.  We  had  sincerely  hoped  that  we  could  find  these  noble  animals  in 
some  locality  in  quantities  sufficient  to  justify  our  stoi)ping  over  a  day 
for  a  hunt,' but  the  two  I  have  mentioned  were  the  only  ones  we  saw  on 
the  river.    Years  ago  they  were  quite  numerous  for  many  miles  below 


HUNTING   MOOSE  FROM   ItlVEii  STEAMER   "YUKON." 

this  point,  but  we  afterward  ascertained  that  they  are  now  nearly  ex- 
tinct here,  an  exceedingly  severe  winter  some  five  or  six  years  ago  being 
held  to  account  for  their  disappearance.  It  is  to  be  greatly  hoped  that 
they  have  only  been  destroyed  in  i)art,  so  that  they  may  eventually 
recover ;  for  the  Yukon  valley  will  give  them  a  safe  refuge  from  civiliza- 
tion when  the  liunting  of  them  in  Maine  and  Canada  will  exist  only  in 
liooks  and  stories. 


HUNTING    AND    FISHING    IN   ALASKA. 


197 


From  where  we  saw  this  last  moose,  the  country  for  300  miles  fur- 
ther on  is  as  flat  as  a  pancake— a  sort  of  marshy  tundra  (timbered, 
however),  where  the  musquitoes  revel  in  numbers,  and  game  is  univer- 
sally scarce.  We  were  about  texi  days  drifting  through  it,  entering  the 
hilly  country  on  the  3d  of  August,  having  seen  nothing  to  imi)ress  our 
hearts  as  hunters  nor  to  relieve  our  stomachs  with  fresli  meat.  Our 
entry  into  the  "lower  ramparts,"  as  this  second  hilly  country  is  called. 


PllEPAKl.NG    Foil  A  DAY's   TKOUTINO  AT   OOXALASKA. 


was  celebrated  by  killing  three  geese,  which  we  found  to  be  lino  eating 
after  a  fortnight's  feasting  on  government  bacon.  From  here  on  to  the 
mouth  of  the  river  we  found  ])lenty  of  ducks  and  geese  whidi  were 
large  enough  to  kill,  and  we  secured  a  few  messes,  but  the  acme  of  im- 
possibility is  reach<>d  in  hunting  when  floating  down  a  broad  river  on 
such  an  unmanageable  affair  as  a  raft.  Hcfore  moose  became  scarce  on 
the  lower  stream,  the  river  steamer  Yukon  of  the  Alaska  Company,  a 


198 


NIMROD    IN    THE   NORTH. 


small  craft  plying  on  the  stream  of  the  same  name,  would  occasionally 
encounter  a  herd  swimming  down  the  river,  and  rifles  and  revolvers 
"would  be  brought  out,  and  the  exciting  scene  can  be  more  easily 
imagined  than  described. 

A  few  days  were  spent  at  Oonalaska.  in  the  Aleutian  group,  as  we 
returned  to  San  Francisco  from  Bering  Sea,  and  in  tlie  little  mountain 
streams  we  had  a  day  or  two  at  trouting — our  last  act  as  Nimrods  in 
the  North. 


T 


I 


